Most modern homes require mains electricity, unless of course one can afford an extensive (and expensive) all-singing solar system; we can't.
I can't remember when we actually asked our local man to take the electricity cable from that light beige plastic thingy up to the barn; it must have been about two years ago! We have heard an awful lot of excuses since then.
French regulations insist that the cables are capable of taking 2 million volts, could be used to lift a 10 tonne lorry, and must be surrounded by a hefty plastic 'conduit' that could stand the weight of five elephants. All this must be buried at least a metre deep; two metres to be safe.
Anyway, the guys arrived yesterday afternoon. One started digging with a mini-digger, then when he hit rock continued with the bloody JCB.
So now that we have buried cable, I wonder how long it'll be before the cable gets taken through the barn wall and the sparks begin to flow. Don't hold your breaths.
p.s. The little round bit, on the light beige plastic thingy, is for 'meter reading'. The man comes along, points his zapper at the circle, and bingo. Maybe they're like that everywhere now; I have no idea!.
That plastic thingy is a switchboard with a meter. Where i live in Oz, power, gas, phone is all underground and each house has a Smart Meter with a little antennae on it. No getting out of the car and reading each meter anymore. Its all done via Wi Fi. Here we would employ a contractor to lay all the cable, book an inspector and send an EWR & CES via email to the power supplier. They have 15 days to attend site and if all OK hook up to mains. All takes less than a month. This is of course a perfect world and there can be delays but a complaint to the Ombudsman gets them moving as it cost the power company from the moment the complaint is lodged. We not only build switchboards but install them on commercial & industrial sites. I believe that it is much more difficult in Europe, especially in Italy to get utilities connected.
ReplyDeleteIt's not a problem here asking for a connection, it's getting people to do the work. In a country with so much unemployment, one would have thought that people would be queueing-up for a job.
DeleteI have also just had a Smart Meter installed so the man who used to come and read my metre every three months will soon be redundant.
ReplyDeleteNot sure if that is progress or not.
The fact that they don't even have to get out of their cars is certainly NOT progress. I envisage a new class of 'Van Potatoes'.
DeleteStrange, but wright now I also have some problems with elecrisity regulation. have to change many cables in my house. may be i shall post about it latter.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds expensive!
DeleteIt is.
DeleteWhere does the light beige plastic thingy go - in the barn?
ReplyDeleteIt stays where it is. It's the point at which our electricity people (EDF) go no further. Everything after the box is for us to organise and pay for (that's why it's so far away).
DeleteIn the photo it looks HUGE - how big is it in reality?
ReplyDeleteIt stands about 2ft out of the ground. Gawd knows why!
DeleteIn the photo it looks the size of a large fridge.
DeleteAnd I bet inside there's just a couple of small wires.
DeleteWell it'll get you out of the dark ages Cro....not sure if that's progress either to be honest!
ReplyDeleteIt's now almost mid-day the following day, and no sign of Sparky. I wonder when he'll turn up again.
ReplyDeleteHere it is the same trying to get a plumber to come to the house.
ReplyDeleteWe have had no centre light in the kitchen for a fortnight and are still waiting for the electrician to come!
ReplyDeleteIm married to an Electrician and i still waiting for lighting other than bulbs in the ceiling for over 20 years. I hang the washing on the line in the dark.
DeleteWe paid a small fortune for a Generac generator that is connected to our house when the electricity goes out. In the country it happens frequently. We can't even get the company that installed it to come service it now. Yesterday, I had to purchase 750 gallons of propane fuel to feed the generator and heat our home this winter. The propane company told us we could lock in a fee of $1.88 per gallon for the winter if we will pre-pay for it. I really don't know how senior citizens on fixed incomes afford to live anymore.
ReplyDeleteYou have my sympathy.
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