BRIAN 1

hi all we completed on our house in calabria last may,we had our permanent power installed in november,it is only 3kw and is often tripping.the builder wants 300+euro to upgrade,we have found out that this is a simple fuse change.im buggered if im going to be ripped off.does anyone know how i could obtain fuse myself or bypass builder and get job done cheers brian

chris120

The electricity supply company will upgrade your circuit breaker and meter for a relatively nominal fee and a slightly higher KWH rate but probably what the builder is talking about is upgrading the house wiring etc. If the house has older wiring rated for 3 KW then it might not be safe to operate it at 6 or 9 KW.

Lorna at Vicenza

Ours up here in the North is 3kw too and we all had brand new meters put in a few years ago.

We have learnt that turning some things on when the washing machine or dishwasher is going is a no no as the power cuts out.

The pc is okay and the tv but the iron- toaster and especially the kettle don't go.

It is ENEL'S job to upgrade (the electric company here) and not a builder's job.

chris120

[quote= It is ENEL'S job to upgrade (the electric company here) and not a builder's job.[/quote]

Read what i said about the rating of the wiring? ENEL change the CB and meter, it is not down to them to determine if the wiring can take it.

UK electric kettles are typically 2.5 KW - that's why they blow the CB easily and why Italians don't use them.

.Ariel.

We have 4.5 KW allowance and I still manage to blow everything and end up in the dark. So annoying. We don't use that much, but becasue we're out all day we turn everything on at once - and there it goes.

A kettle uses 2.5?! That's a lot.

Lorna at Vicenza

Yes - I forgot to add that it could also be what you said.

Italians don't use kettles like we do, not because they make the electric go off, but because they don't drink tea and instant coffee like we do.

They have no need to turn a kettle on 10 times a day .....although there are more of them for sale here these days.

BRIAN 1

hi again,thanks for advise.our wiring is ok as it is a new house and we were on builders supply(cable slung across garden from power pole to internal fuse board)for 9 months without problem.it is a holiday home at moment and we dont speak italian yet so the builder organised our contract and connection with enel so we do not know who to contact.i think in this part of italy "businessmen" like to control everything no matter how small.we are going for 7 days next week so will look at cb and try and get a 4.5 one somewhere probably illegal but will try cheers again brian

TestaRossa

Depending on your mains box I believe that it is an upgrade ENEL can do wirelessly. When we moved in here the kw were upgraded that way so we could use all our appliances and the AC in the summer. Bear in mind that, I believe, a normal UK house has 30kw going in?? My house here has 10kw with 11kw potential if there is a surge. On that I can run every appliance possible and the ac without a trip. I quite often have dishwasher, dryer, washer and the iron plus lights, heating etc all on at once. So think about your needs as well before doing any kind of upgrade, legal or otherwise.

37100

If your going to upgrade you might as well go for a 7w if the line can take it as it's only a few €'s more in standing charge. Enel out sources meters so the builder could have the nenecessary permits to do the work then enel or your provider should check it.

PAT M

Hi All,

We upgraded to 6kw (Enel do this wirelessly,it's true that the standing charge is reasonable but they charged us a one off approx 150 euros to upgrade us) we thought that would solve our problems with the electrics tripping but it didn't, an electrician told us that the house needed re-wiring (estimate given of several thousand euros), we asked for another opinion from another electrician/plumber who happened to be here fixing something and he told us our "Salva-vita" (Circuit breaker) wasn't "big" enough for our house, he changed it (30 euros) and all our problems were over, I can even use my Dyson (sorry to make everyone jealous, I bought it over from London when we moved) when washing machine etc are on.

Lorna at Vicenza

I'm the jealous one. I wouldn't mind upgrading the watts if it meant I had a decent hoover !
For the time being I'll just remember not to switch the kettle on if something else is on a "heat-up" phase. I'll be drinking less and less tea anyway as the weather gets warmer and warmer.

PAT M

Hi Lorna,

Get someone to bring you over a decent whistling kettle, I wonder do Dyson deliver to Italy, I expect the courier fees are high though.

TestaRossa

I really like my stove top kettle! I upgraded to an Alessi one recently through Essalunga's fidaty points scheme - I collect it and it goes with my bread bin!! Yep, I am probably the only person in the world that was thrilled that her OH bought her a bread bin for Christmas one year!!

fb2

missing the point here - maybe I am ?

5 bed residential house with swimming pool, cinema etc runs quite happily on 3kw supply. We have learnt how to deal with what works and does not. Wake up and smell the coffee guys ! Bruschetta toasted on the stove with a traditional toaster not only tastes better but works in tandem with the kettle or Moka (on the stove).

Not only does Italy have some of the highest energy (monopolised?) prices in EC which I REFUSE to pay, it forces those of us that live here permanently to figure out how to live within those boundaries. I am a Scot and like the Genoese, hate spending what I don't need to.

Do not for one moment believe that as everyone else in Calabria pays to upgrade their supplies to accommodate bigger fridges, AirCon units, "dyson's" and rabbit rechargers, that ENI, ACEA or ENEL will upgrade the grid to provide it. DOH ±! Wait until the peak periods and get your boxes of IKEA candles ready because there will be NO POWER !!

As cheeky as this post may appear, it is most genuine. I am a Jock engineer , 8 years here, who is quite glad that his family are learning that energy is not "endless". When the lights go out because Mummy's hairdryer was on while Daddy was running his 2k marshall guitar amp too high - they get "global warming" 1st hand. It means something to them as it should to all of us. As a realist I believe global warming is mostly b******s but abuse of energy is something we must all learn to deal with : natural resources are limited.

Roughly translated, look for the wolf's mouth when you next plug something in (assuming you have the right socket for one of the myriad of plugs available here, which in itself is a misnomer because the larger of the 3pin plugs is rated 16A/3.6kw) because whatever you pay to whom ever, will never eliminate those most wonderful family evenings playing cluedo by candle-light. OK - about as easy as explaining to native Italians why Jeremy Clarkson and Marmite are similar - beh !

TestaRossa

Thanks for liberating some power for the rest of us that do want to run all their appliances whenever, at whatever cost!