Overloading isn't safe for you or our people working on the network, and it's a potential fire risk. Some electricity retailers offer free power deals, but did you know there is a maximum appliance load for your home? Be smarter with your free power deals and avoid overloading.
Maximum appliance load
A typical household can run up to 14 kilowatts (kW) of appliances, or 60Amps, at one time. If you turn on all heaters, a clothes dryer, oven, use hot water and use all electric appliances during any free power deals offered by your retailer (who you pay your bill to), you risk blowing your house-fuse, having a power cut, and needing to call us to turn your power back on.
Signs you're overloading
We want to help keep you and the people who work on our network safe. Here's some signs you might be overloading.
- Circuit breaker often trips or fuses blow
- Outlet plates (where you plug in your appliances etc) are warm or discoloured
- Lights dim or flicker
- Your main power fuse has blown
- Electrical contractor tells you so
- Retailer sends an invoice for exceeding your supply
How to know how much power you’re using
You can buy plug-in power monitors and meters from hardware stores, electrical goods stores and online retailers that will help you measure which appliances are using the most energy. Once you know what is using the most power, you can not only avoid overloading but also look for ways to potentially reduce your power bills.
Consumer New Zealand has some helpful information about typical running costs for heating, lighting and appliances, and some great tips on how to lower your power bill. You can find this information here.
Save yourself money by not overloading
We spend a lot of money fixing damage to the electricity network caused by households not using power safely. If you cause a power outage because you overloaded the system, you may be charged a call-out fee to restore your power. Plus, you could be referred to a private contractor or electrician to fix any internal faults.
These costs can be avoided by simply not overloading your power. So do yourself (and your wallet) a favour – use power wisely and keep the lights on!
Let's recap
- Be smart about how you use any free power deals that your retailer might offer
- Check how much electricity your appliances use
- Only qualified technicians should repair electrical appliances
- In a power cut call Aurora Energy on 0800 22 00 05 and report the incident
- If you need help from Fire and Emergency New Zealand, call 111 immediately
- Ensure everyone in your flat or home understands this information.
