Electricity for our renovated mill

[Washy]

This follows on from my posting regarding experiences with the CONSUEL.  EDF came out today, as I said it cost me 800 euros for them to get up from their desks in Carcassonne.  It was a happy conincidence that our neighbour and friend, Claude, was here fixing his vine chemical sprayer with my husband as he knew the EDF guy.  I do not think he would have been so accomodating otherwise.

Anyway, he threw his arms up in the air and hit his piece of paper when he saw that we were still very much in the middle of renovation, i.e. no roof on half the buildings yet!!  He said the CONSUEL will not certify any electrical installation here!  There followed a long conversation with Claude about how EDF were stopping them working, and making life difficult etc. etc.....

I asked about a Compteur de Chantier, he said he could refund 500 of my 800 euros and I would be responsible for buying the specific compteur and making our installations and this would cost about 600 euros to do but that the compteur de chantier would only be valid for 6 months, an extension could be applied for but he thought this would still not be long enough for us to finish our work and then we would still have to have CONSUEL out to check this and then pay again to be connected to the EDF supply when we had finished with the 'chantier' connection.

So after some more discussion and a coffee we all ruled that one out.  The final suggestion was that he would refund at least 300 of my 800 euros, he said the computer had worked out the charge!!, and that I should find an electrician known to CONSUEL a.s.a.p. to completely fit a small installation in the barn which we live in only.  He said do not knock through into the 'new lounge' until after CONSUEL had been, tell CONSUEL that the rest of the buildings belong to another member of my family (!), and ask them to consider only the small barn.  Then when they have passed the installation, which he suggested should only be a few plugs, a connection for the immersion heater, and a plug for the washing machine, and lights, all to the french 'norm', we can do what we want with the rest of the buildings and garden, etc.  This was all from the EDF man.

There was also a discussion about where the electricity should come from, i.e. which pylon....we are surrounded by pylons.....he decided which was nearest then said the building was too low to have a cable across the field and it would have to come underground, which included coming under a stream!!  Anyway that is our responsibility and we can do this as we have a digger.  I did point out that their cables do fly over two of my parcelles at a similar height and he agreed that this installation was bad!!

 So this is where we are up to at the moment 1st September, I will post here how we progress, it may help other people in a similar situation.  I have a feeling my french beans are going to be stored in my neighbour's freezer for another year......nevermind.

[Lori]

Incredible ! (yet somehow believable)...

[Dwebs]

what's the economics of running a generator?

[Washy]

I am not sure, will try to do some calculations later, but even with red diesel I think hour for hour it is still more expesnive than electricity, but the solar panel has paid for itself already.  Or problem is that it is nearly time to replace the diesel generator, so a large expense looms.

[dandaz]

At much expence I took a solar shower £8.95...It worked very well....Hung it on the barn side

I have thought about a nice quite diesel generator, but electric is more convient...I`ve wrote [ e mail ]to the electric man and he says his records show there is no meter at my address and he is asking for the previous owners...I think it was a bunch of cows...

 

 

[Washy]

That made me laugh Dandaz.....the EDF only seem to be able to cope with enquiries if you can supply the name of the previous owner...Ha Ha ...our mill is so sold, when they asked for the name of the previous owners I said the Cathars or Simon de Montfort?????  They do not seem to be able to believe that a place has never had electricity if it is not a new build.

[Dshart2]

A  couple of  years  ago ,  i believe it  was in  this  topic ,  someone  had  found  electricity generating torpedoes .  You place  them  in  flowing  water and  they  generate  electricity  by  spinning . If  you  have a water  mill  with a  sluice   it   may be an option  for  you .

 

Doug H

[Washy]

Yes Doug we have seen these and since the knock back from EDF we are considering getting a move on with the mill itself and running the turbine from this.  We could hang one of these little torpedoes from the existing bridge.  EDF will set up a combination of wind and solar power for remote properties around here but it is their responsibility, and you have nothing to do with it at all, they send you electricity bills as normal.