bfg69bug

ahhh .. now it makes sense.

3x 15a icp giving a total of 45a as long as loading is equal.

thats fine, the kitchen wiring needs to be re-distributed among the 3 phases.

cooker on one, surface sockets on another (microwave, kettle etc), and electric water heater on another, air con on the phase with the lowest usage.

as you say, with a kettle and a cooker being 2kw each, the icp makes it impossible to run the two at once, if they were on the same phase. annoying, but those are the new rules which will eventually be for everyone.

fred, interesting point, have you heard about the new digital meters? they are supposed to have an in built icp .. so if you are fitting one, but upgrading your supply, hence a new contract, you can ask for a new meter.. and not fit an icp...im not sure how to reset it tho, if it trips, is it sealed inside the meter, or is there a button on the outside ?

Fred James

I have heard about the plans for everyone to eventually have a new type of meter but have not seen any details of them.

As you say, if they have a built in ICP then it would have to be self resetting.

It will probably takes years to change them all over, especially as I understand that the power companies will have to foot the bill.

snikpoh

We have a new digital meter for one of our flats, but we still had to fit an ICP (Iberdrola).

We were told that with the new (digital) meters, they can be read from the street without need to access the meter cupboard - we asked the meter man and he just laughed! Years away yet, he said.

Fred James

I thought that they could be read centrally by sending the meter readings back down the power lines - a bit like one of these home networks where you use the house power wiring.

I imagine the meters are capable of doing it but I doubt that they have the equipment and infrastructure set up to do anything with the data.

michaleen oge

If only..our electricity was cut off when we were back in the uk and the bills still being paid by our spanish bank. when we returned we couldn't find out from anyone in endesa as to why it was cut off(the monthly bill had just been paid out too). BUT to get reconnected,we had to have a new meter,and also get a boletin. we had been living in that house for three years too,and had only gone back to the uk for a year.
so the new meter cost us near 800 euros and the boletin,which endesa told me was going to be free, another 70 euros. See lots of these meters sprouting in our village now,you can tell by the new larger box outside the houses. to date I know of three houses which have been charged for the change-over,ranging from 300 to 600 euros. One canny fella did it himself and got his cousin to authorise it.

Fred James

Ah but they are not charging you for the meter - they are charging you to bring the supply up to date and get a new Boletin - you don't pay Endesa for that you pay an electrician.

You also have to have a larger meter box with metal doors, again, you have to get a builder to do that and buy the box.

Then you get your FREE meter!

Bunning Carstards!

michaleen oge

yeah,that was what happened to us...but I got one over on endesa. We were without electricity for about two months while I kept going back and forth,getting nowhere fast...so I lied to the young girl in their office,I told her we had a young child in the house who was suffering(we are pensioners)and she arranged for the supply to be reconnected. So we had electricity for about two months,then they came to put the new box in and check the house out for the boletin.They took the old box away,put the new box in,and started to bill me from the installation. We never got billed for the two months with the old box,and I never told them.
And before I finish,the same thing happened with the water,it had been disconnected as well,even though the bills were still being paid. the meter was taken away,and the pipe capped. No-one at galasa could tell me why or when the supply was stopped. We had to get a new meter,the roadway outside dug up and new sewage pipes put it,and pay about 800 euros for the privelage. I also had to tell the young lady in their office that we had a young child in the house who was suffering because we have had no water for about two months(in the heat of summer too). so she got our water put back on until the new meter men came etc.....it really is a big con and seems to be happening all over. I have been told by friends that both galasa and endesa have been trying to get them to instal new electric boxes and new water meters with all the cost it involves. they declined but they will have to do it in the end I think....We are the only house on our calle with the new meters,,,,,we are also the only english house on the calle....go figure.

bobd22

I had to have the new type box fitted 2 years ago when we changed the supply into our name also had the the ICP fitted. Electrician changed the meter cupboard etc new one with bigger steel door and supplied the boletin, endesa came and fitted the ICp and something else in the meter box. Didn't get a new meter though same meter just new box. Cost me about 700 euro total. Strange seems to be that all the Spanish houses stil have the old type glass fronted meter boxes, however I suppose they don't change supply names which seeems to trigger the need for the new type. Of course the new builds have the new type.

michaleen oge

it's nothing to do with changing names I am afraid. Our name was on our supply from day one,the same goes for friends of ours who had endesa coming to their door every week trying to get them to buy a new box...none of their(spanish)neighbours were asked.
also,the blasted gas men have been coming to our house quite regularily over the last two years now. never been allowed to gain entry. I allow the wife to answer the door ,"I'm a poor woman on my own and can't allow you in",that sort of thing. or I let my dog answer the door. same difference,man goes away. they will get me in the end,but I am putting up a fight.

Fred James

I doubt that it was Endesa - they would never get of their comfy backsides in the office and anyway, they cannot sell you a box.

It was almost certainly the electrical contractors who do the work for Endesa and they are private companies.

The reason they did not approach the Spanish is that they would know it was a con - just like the gas men who charge you a fortune to check your gas appliances.

bobd22

I wasn't approached at the door it was part of buying the house to change the electric account into my name reuired a new boletin which required a new box being fitted and the ICP. I was informed of this by the solicitor then arranged for work to be done.

EsuriJohn

Its the steel door that seems to be driving this I suppose to stop theft. Its odd though about 5000 new properties on Costa Esuri all finished within the last two or three years and you can count on the fingers of one hand the number of steel doors. Fortunately mine is one.

It has a downside though I wanted to buy one of the Endessa plastic box doors for a little project I have and could not get one anywhere. Odd but over in Portugal they still do the plastic boxes for all utilities boxes and doors but they are all slightly different doors sizes, the one that matches is water and that has 2 little clear flaps so no good.

Fred James

I wasn't replying to your post, I was replying to Michaleen.

michaleen oge

quite true there fred. these people have all sorts of official-looking identity cards etc. the main criteria for the gas people is NOT to let them in. use any excuse at hand...we have used "little old woman on her own","sorry,my huge wolf isn't partial to strangers",and the best one.."we don't own this house,we are on vacation". if you let the gas man in,you are legally bound to pay anything they bill you for.
I wouldn't be so upset with galasa and endesa if I knew they were targetting everyone,not just the english. then I wouldn't feel paranoid. but we are the only ones having our doors knocked on. my spanish neighbours tell me to tell them to ---- off but I am not like that. But getting that way.

bil

Pick a language they are unlikely to know, and simply repeat a suitable phrase ad nauseam till they **** off.

If it's any help, try this.

'Sumimasen, shitsurei shimasu. Showinno no innu wa ikura desu ka?'

Roughly, 'I am so sorry. How much is that doggie in the window??

I use it on beggars, and it is a joy to watch the confusion on their faces.