Supply Conventions

KARL | 21:03 Mon 04th Mar 2013 | Travel

1 Answers

This is perhaps the best suited location on this site to ask my question, even though the subject matter is not exactly one of travel.

I have discovered that in Portugal there is a practice of fitting into domestic electricity supply arrangements a kind of limiter on the amount of energy you can draw at any time. The device is basically a circuit breaker and you agree with the supplier what its value is to be - anything down to as little 7 amperes or so and your tariff will be based on this ( the lower the maximum, the lower your tariff). I don't know for certain, but I imagine the historical explanation is that the infrastructure requirements thereby becomes more predictable and can be of a lower grade than if it is necessary to cater for demand more or less at will. It is compulsory to accept this device as part of the installation.

I know of nowhere else where this practice or anything remotely similar is found, nor has anybody I know heard of such a thing. Additionally, in Portugal it is compulsory to have a) the main supply fuse, b) the meter and c) the limiter in three separate locations physically apart (but obviously directly connected, effectively in series) - putting them all in the same box is an absolute no-no and the stipulations force the boxes to be away from each other. The limiter must be indoors while the other two devices/boxes are to be outside the dwelling.

My two part question is: Does anyone know of another country which a) requires a limiter on the current drawn (i.e. separate and lower value, apart from the main supply fuse) and/or b) where it is expressly required to have a separate housing (indoors or outdoors) for each device that forms the mains power supply to a domestic dwelling (i.e. power supplier's equipment) ?

If there is a more appropriate forum to ask the question, then I would welcome learning of it.