Electrical Meters, Electrical Meter Boxes and Endesa.

 @guslopez

They cant make you move the meter, but they will if you have your electricity cut off or contract "revoked" for non payment or other such. As long as you keep your bills up to date, you, and the thousands of others who still have the meter indoors, will be fine. The will not reconnect anyone without having the meter outside and in the current regulation boxes (two windows, metal cover, etc).

Also boletins are good for 20 years, so the person above with the three phase meter should be fine for any raising or lowering of the potencia.

Hi, following your infomation on the 3 phase reduction in potencia from 14kw to 10.3 kw the electriction that fitted the ICP have said it would not be a good idea, hes reason will be told later this evening through email.

I am a bit concerned as we paid for him to fit and install an ICP. We will be getting a new digital meter fitted and as i understand this will come with the ICP included hence the waste in money in getting him to buy and fit the one we have. I only found out about the new meter after reading your article and learning as i go along.

Now hes telling me a 10.3kw would be no good. We have already been stung by the builder who renovated our house by putting a 3phase system from single phase, and am worried we may be stung again! 

Sorry for so many questions Alex but this has been a big insight as to how things work in Spain.

Would you know how much of a big job it would be to come from a phase3 to a single phase and would I need a new boletin?

Hi I have just received the infomation from my electriction explaning why you should not put a potencia of 10.3kw to a 3phase system.

does this sound correct?

3 PHASE is 3 lines (cables) of electric coming into the house

SINGLE PHASE is 1 line (cable) of electric coming into the house

With the 10,3kw potencia you will have 3,43kw max usage per phase when items used SIMULTANEOUSLY

If you go over that on any phase the digi meter/ICP switch trips

With the 13,5kw I allocated you means you can have 4,5kw max usage per phase again when items are used SIMULATANEOUSLY

If you go over that the digi meter/ICP switch trips

If as i suggested you had 9kw single phase supply you can have 9kw usage again when items are used SIMULTANEOULSY

If you go over that the digi meter/ICP switch trips

Now you can see that single phase supply allows more SIMULTANEOUS use of electrical items

Examples

With 10,3kw (3.43kw) potencia you wont be able to use all your Hob rings at the same time and if you use 2 you wont be able to use anything else from the phase or you overload (trip)

Using items like the washing machine and the AC units will need juggling and tripping is inevitable and if the fridge freezer or washing machine thermostats kick in making the machines work while your using other high usage stuff on the same phases again trippin will be inevitable

The 13,5kw gives you more allowance and is more realistic but as I explained to you at the time you’ll still need controlled use.

Whilst with the single phase supply you can use many items, 9kw woth, at the same time without tripping

The 9kw single phase supply is approx 18e per month

The 10,3 kw 3phase is a bit more

The 13,5kw is around 35e per month

All plus IVA

Many thanks

 Well done for the info, it all seems correct. Personally I prefer monophase installation rather than threephase for domestic installations.

You would need a new boletin to change from threephase back to single. As the certificate you have for the installation is for 3 phase, not mono. Sorry...

Hi Alex, I have asked our electrican if I can lower our phase3 potencia from 14kw to 10.03kw this was his reply.

I thought using these electrical items spead across the 3 phases with a 10.3kw would be ok?

Electrical items approx usage

CERAMIC HOB 6KW (2Kw per large ring, 1kw per small ring)

OVEN 3KW

DISHWASHER 2KW

KETTLE 2KW

TOASTER 1,5KW

WASHING MACHINE 1,5KW

FRIDGE FREEZER 1,5KW

WATER HEATER 1,5KW

AC UNITS 1KW PER UNIT

LIGHTS various

The Electrical System

3 PHASE is 3 lines (cables) of electric coming into the house

SINGLE PHASE is 1 line (cable) of electric coming into the house

With the 10,3kw potencia the Endesa man suggests you will have 3,43kw max usage per phase when items used SIMULTANEOUSLY

If you go over that on any phase the digi meter/ICP switch trips

With the 13,5kw I allocated you means you can have 4,5kw max usage per phase again when items are used SIMULATANEOUSLY

If you go over that the digi meter/ICP switch trips

If as i suggested you had 9kw single phase supply you can have 9kw usage again when items are used SIMULTANEOULSY

If you go over that the digi meter/ICP switch trips

Now you can see that single phase supply allows more SIMULTANEOUS use of electrical items

Examples

With 10,3kw (3.43kw) potencia you wont be able to use all your Hob rings at the same time and if you use 2 you wont be able to use anything else from the phase or you overload (trip)

Using items like the washing machine and the AC units will need juggling and tripping is inevitable and if the fridge freezer or washing machine thermostats kick in making the machines work while your using other high usage stuff on the same phases again trippin will be inevitable

The 13,5kw gives you more allowance and is more realistic but as I explained to you at the time you’ll still need controlled use.

Whilst with the single phase supply you can use many items, 9kw woth, at the same time without tripping

The 9kw single phase supply is approx 18e per month

The 10,3 kw 3phase is a bit more

The 13,5kw is around 35e per month

All plus IVA

 That sounds accurate. Are you the person who I spoke with on the phone today? I´m still a firm believe mono is better than 3 phase for domestic installations...

I hope you can advise me on my situation I am in the process of updating the electrics at my house and am replacing the plug and light fitting as the existing ones are old, but have noticed some of the wiring has an earth wire and some do not!!

I cannot see the earth wire in the ones that don’t have them but am thinking they must be there as some do, I don’t really want to break sections of the wall to see more of the cable to find out if the earth wire is there, is there any other way I can fix an earth to the sockets and light fittings?

When the sockets etc. are installed the electrician decided which will have an earth and which will not.   If you want an earth in an unearthed socket / light fitting you will need to run an earth wire back to the fuse box.  It is a bit tricky sometime but not a highly skilled task, but if you do not know how to do that, it means you will need to get someone to help or to do it for you.

Could you explain how to do that without having to break the walls in the process? Some of the plugs that need earthing are on the first floor and the fuse board is on the ground floor.

I did not really want to get deep into this, as it appears you may not have much practical experience.

As I said, get someone who knows to help you.  !!!!