Any electricity bods in? Power-cut problems

Loubee · 29/09/10 - 21:42

Ok, so for the last three nights the local power station-thing (as in all power in the street/area goes off not just mine) has cut out at about 1am for 15 minutes, then tonight it went off at 9 for 10 minutes. The company says they're aware of the problem but I'm just wondering what it might be because being randomly plunged into darkness is really starting to freak me out (I know, I'm a wimp!)

Anyone else have any experience with this sort of thing, or any expertise of what it might be?

[Deleted User] · 29/09/10 - 21:44

It could be a high/low voltage problem, damaged cables, the supply may have been temporarily re-routed, faulty... anything. All kinds of things can cause this to happen.

If it's been reported to the local electricity distributor, it's just a case of waiting unfortunately. I used to work for an energy company and some things, unfortunately, never get given proper timescales.

[Deleted User] · 29/09/10 - 21:46

It's either a sub-station fault with the switchgear or distribution transformer or an underground cable fault.

Or it could be some yobs trying to nick/vandalise all the above.

Loubee · 29/09/10 - 23:01

Thank you clever people - somehow it's comforting to hear a bit of jargon and remind myself that some people know what they're talking about when it comes to these things. In the meantime I guess I'll just have to cross my fingers and hope things don't get worse before they get better!

[Deleted User] · 29/09/10 - 23:22

Loubee wrote: »

Ok, so for the last three nights the local power station-thing (as in all power in the street/area goes off not just mine) has cut out at about 1am for 15 minutes, then tonight it went off at 9 for 10 minutes. The company says they're aware of the problem but I'm just wondering what it might be because being randomly plunged into darkness is really starting to freak me out (I know, I'm a wimp!)

Anyone else have any experience with this sort of thing, or any expertise of what it might be?

Are you in Wateringbury? Same has happened here.

[Deleted User] · 30/09/10 - 00:56

And again, for two minutes just now. Bliddy infuriating.

Ginger Geek · 30/09/10 - 02:12

At least if you know there are possibilities of losing power for a short time, you can get some batteries/torches/lanterns in so that you don't have to sit there is the dark.

Whenever we have a power cut it's only then we start trying to find where we last left the torch and if we have any batteries for it. If not where are the candles?

So regular power cuts at least gets you perpared for them. If we now had the power cuts we did in the 70s we would just all go out and buy generators nowadays.

stringman · 30/09/10 - 08:10

mandelifeboats wrote: »

Are you in Wateringbury? Same has happened here.

I'm in teston and it happened to me as well
it was the whole area as far as coxheath i think
bloody annoying as i was surfing the web at the time!!
and it set off loads of house alarms

John259 · 30/09/10 - 08:17

Our electricity company (the one which actually distributes the power and mends faults on the network, not the one we pay the bills to) has a toll-free 0800 phone number which has a recorded message reporting any problems with estimated repair times, and an option to report a new fault. It might be worth checking if yours has too.

Just in case you're with the same company, ours is EDF and the number is 0800-7838838.

HTH

[Deleted User] · 30/09/10 - 08:35

stringman wrote: »

I'm in teston and it happened to me as well
it was the whole area as far as coxheath i think
bloody annoying as i was surfing the web at the time!!
and it set off loads of house alarms

Hello neighbour!
Cripes, that's quite a big area, must be more than a sub station problem.

[Deleted User] · 30/09/10 - 08:36

John259 wrote: »

Our electricity company (the one which actually distributes the power and mends faults on the network, not the one we pay the bills to) has a toll-free 0800 phone number which has a recorded message reporting any problems with estimated repair times, and an option to report a new fault. It might be worth checking if yours has too.

Just in case you're with the same company, ours is EDF and the number is 0800-7838838.

HTH

Thanks John. I've no idea who our distributor is but I'll try the number in case it is EDF.

[Deleted User] · 30/09/10 - 08:37

John259 wrote: »

Our electricity company (the one which actually distributes the power and mends faults on the network, not the one we pay the bills to)

It's called your DNO (Distribution Network Operator) and can be found here;

http://www.nationalgrid.com/uk/Electricity/AboutElectricity/DistributionCompanies/

MAW · 30/09/10 - 08:44

A big area doesn't neccesarily mean a fault way down the high voltage line, they have circuit breakers etc which can pop if there's a more localised problem. We had endless power cuts for a while, all 2-10 minutes long. Maddening. Then one day, a van with a cherry picker on the back arrived right outside my house, and replaced n overhead wire that was being pulled by growing trees. End of problem. The power cuts extended to the 3 neighbouring villages from that.

[Deleted User] · 30/09/10 - 08:48

Thanks LCDMAN and John.
It is EDF and it seems to have a problem with overhead power cables. They don't know where the problem is and have teams out trying to locate it......... So they haven't a clue!
Best get a wind up router and more candles in.

stringman · 30/09/10 - 11:09

mandelifeboats wrote: »

Hello neighbour!
Cripes, that's quite a big area, must be more than a sub station problem.

hi there
just nip down to the marina theres bound to be a genny or two there!!

[Deleted User] · 30/09/10 - 11:16

It's difficult to find intermittent faults. If a cable breaks it's easy.

I worked in power stations for years and know how difficult intermittent faults are to trace.

It may well be that the power cuts are caused while they try to identify the fault and at 1am there is less disruption.

tony13579 · 30/09/10 - 11:46

A bt home hub (black) can run for about an hour on a pp9 battery...you would need to make a little power lead..... ok if you have a laptop
or if you have an old ADSL modem like the stingray they run from the USB power supply

Hey there!

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Any electricity bods in? Power-cut problems

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