Re: Grand Apagon - Electricity (not) in Spain

On 08/05/2025 17:19, Liz Tuddenham wrote:

Martin Brown <'''newspam'''@nonad.co.uk> wrote:
 

On 08/05/2025 13:43, Liz Tuddenham wrote:

Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> wrote:
>
>

I don't think I've ever (regardless of where I've lived) experienced
a deliberate power cut.  A drunk may take out a telephone pole or
a branch may fall on some high tension wires but no one has ever
said "sorry, we're turning the lights out" (for whatever reason)

>
That was exactly what happened in the UK in the early 1970s; we had a
rota of power cuts lasting 4 hours each.  I made up an automatic
lighting unit based on a car battery for my parents.  It used relays to
switch on when the mains went, then recharge at a fast rate until the
battery voltage rose high enough, then trickle charge.

>
That was during the various coal miners strikes which were at their peak
then. Local newspapers had rotas for planned supply cuts.
>
ISTR there was still the odd planned power cut even in the late 1970's
but they became increasingly rare after that.

 A "Disconnection Rota" marker has recently started appearing on my
electricity bill.

You still get paper ones? I confess I haven't actually looked at my virtual "paper" electricity bill for ages. I use the online portal to check usage and how much they have taken in DD for prepayment.
Electricity companies have a nasty habit of always increasing DDs when the price goes up and never reducing them so that if you don't keep an eye on it they can borrow your money. Officially to smooth out winter.
I'll take a look on mine. I only have water and sewage as physical paper bills to satisfy what laughingly passes for "proof of identity" in the UK! The other utilities are on DD to get preferential rates.
I can't see why we would ever be inline for rationing power cuts though we are pretty much on the nexus where under all foreeable scenarios we have an oversupply of power that can't move any further south!
It might fail for over voltage though.
--
Martin Brown