Power cuts

General Discussion
1

Hi all, yesterday here in the Tarn (81170) I had 5 power cuts of short duration during the late afternoon/early evening. No work on lines, no storms, no high winds, bright sunshine but not too hot, so no reason for high power usage.


Apart from being a real nuisance, having to reset clocks, wifi, skybox etc, any electric motor which is just starting up (fridge, freezer) will suffer and could prematurely fail. Has anyone any idea why this happens, and has anyone complained to EDF?


My only theory is that it is due to switching between areas, but why doesn't it happen in UK?

2

Had a very helpful reply promising to look into the problem with ERDF but then this disclaimer. I still think that it's a swiching problem.

Bonjour Monsieur Fletton, Par votre mail du 18 avril 2014, vous exprimez votre mécontentement à propos du dysfonctionnement sur le réseau électrique alimentant votre installation. N'ayant pas réussi à vous joindre par téléphone ce jour, je vous adresse ce mail pour vous apporter les éléments de réponse que vous attendez. Après analyse de votre situation, je vous informe que l’analyse technique d’ERDF (Electricité Réseau Distribution France) a révélé des incidents sur le réseau ce jour là à 14h08, 17h25, 18h52 et enfin 20h29. Les coupures brèves sont liées à la nature aérienne de certains réseaux haute tension. Elles correspondent au fonctionnement d’appareils destinés à protéger les installations de nos clients contre des défauts qui pourraient entraîner des coupures plus longues. Aussi, et bien que les services d’ERDF effectuent régulièrement des travaux d’élagage et d’entretien sur leurs ouvrages, ces coupures brèves peuvent également résulter de toute forme de contact entre des corps naturels (branches, pailles, oiseaux..) et les lignes électriques, ainsi que de phénomènes atmosphériques (orages, tempêtes…). Dans tous les cas, vous avez les équipements recommandés qui garantissent la protection de votre matériel électronique et évitent les désagréments occasionnés par ce type de coupure. Et je tiens à vous rassurer, ces appareils standards, en vente dans le commerce, sont conçus pour supporter tout type de micro coupures. J'espère avoir répondu au mieux à vos attentes et conserver toute votre confiance. Votre conseiller EDF S. GAIN Dans le cas où vous seriez en désaccord avec la présente réponse, vous avez la possibilité de saisir le Service Consommateurs d'EDF, par courrier à l'adresse suivante: EDF SERVICE CONSOMMATEURS-TSA 20021- 41975 BLOIS CEDEX 9

1 Like
3

So Andrew! If my memory serves me right you drive without insurance or CT & now you tell us how to get a free computer upgrade. Any more tips on how to live cheaply in France?

4

sounds like a good solution and one that I would consider if I were staying here. I would add photovoltaic panels, but would be worried about the cost of replacing the batteries.

Yup. I'd leave my lights on during a power cut, probably play loud music too!

5

Got it along with my one from the doc. In fact, I was asked to get the one from the medic first to take to them so they got it right. I have marched into EDF with both in hand and herself at my side and despite them making copies and uttering soothing words nothing has changed. I wrote to CRE on that point, had a letter acknowledging my letter and that was that. So, perhaps they are supposed, as you say, to check the line but they have not and so no change and I have kind of given up since that was in the immediate wake of the heart attack exactly 12 months ago which made not the slightest difference although both doc and maire mentioned to them.

6

Brian, I gather from EDF that people like you and me can go to the mairie and ask them to certify that because we use a breathing aid we are priority customers and must be reconnected first in the event of any outage. I would assume this also means they have to make sure there isn't a defect on your line causing mini power cuts. Either way it would be an added source of pressure to apply to EDF. If I can ever remember to go to the mairie on the two half days a week it's open I'll let you know how I get on!

I'm thinking of getting another UPS just for the respirateur. Already have one for the computer after a mini power cut and a subsequent surge blew up a modem and a telephone years back.

7

We live in Bosviel, Ste Gemme 81, not a power cut but the phone went off for about an hour.... must say we are pretty lucky here do not get many and if so not off for llong..

8

I live in 24...we used to have a lot of power cuts in the St Foy area...then a few years ago they put in sub stations every where. Now we get a few minor on/off cuts...we only register that it has happened because the phones bleep...sometimes this happens several times a week...but it's nothing to complain about...we just accept it as maintenance.

9

Oh yes, we had exactly the same when they did a temporary connection for a house being built nearby. Instead of the one morning it turned into on and off several times that afternoon and most of the next morning. The people building the house do not actual need the supply for another couple of months and cannot understand why the temporary supply has been put in when once they need it the permanent supply will be required which is what they ordered. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

10

We live in north 47 and experience similar mini outages occasionally, seemingly seasonally unaffected. Two weeks ago we received an EDF letter stating that power would be off this Wednesday from 0815 to 1215. Accordingly we made plans to be out during that time, returning home found that the supply had not been interrupted whatsoever. Without warning the power was lost at 1410 that afternoon for some five hours.

Yesterday a further notice arrived advising that supplies would be intermittent during Wednesday and Thursday next week. Isn't French life wonderful ...

11

Here in Normandy, upper Touques valley, we are constantly having power outages, from a few minutes to whole nights or days.

When we first came here 13 years ago all our power lines/high tension etc, were updated to the latest stuff.

Nope, still get those outages.

All our local friends, farmers, local small businesses now have stand by generators. No power no milking the cows, No power and 150,000 snails do a runner when the electric fence is no longer running. So hence the stand by generators. At first the locals thought us mad/raving bonkers putting our own Eco generating system, now they see where we are going and great discussions take place, and our local Council are very supportive.

Power Cuts doesn't bother us much as we have our own supply running day and night, 1300ah 48v batteries, (63kWh), 4kW Inverter, powered by 3 off 3.7m dia wind turbines 4kW, and 7kW of Photovoltaiques panels on Solar trackers.

Total cost 13,730 euros.

For calculation purposes I allow 0.30 euro per kW from EDF at their peak tarrif as the added taxes, standing charges add up to nearly 50% of a family home Bill.

So at 0.30e per kW power supplied from EDF, I can therefore BEAT that EDF price with our own system.

And NO we are not Grid tied, we would like to be, then could export excess power to our local neighbours, but EDF rules and administration and costs are extortionate excessive, about 5,000e to get a grid connection.!!!!!

So when the valley is in darkness, no EDF power, we leave our lights on. !!

Sorry, I can not see the French main power Grid system getting better and in my experience its getting worse in rural areas.

http://www.echorenovate.com A not for profit site.

12

Had a power cut here in North Gironde on Wednesday. Not due to EDF though, but OH who cut the power cable of the electric hedge trimmer !!! Idiot.

Otherwise we do get mini power cuts. Last one was in January, so not very frequent.

13

There has been a programme of upgrading around here, which is very welcome. We have only just had our wires encabled, it took four years because one of the daughters who is a part owner of the next door farm refused to give permission to have the new poteaux on the farm. She doesn’t even live in our commune, it was purely because she held a grudge against her mother!

We have noticed that these small outages seem less, but we still have them.

14

Exactly the same as us Jane.

The man who reads our meter sometimes stops for a coffee. Coming from a family with Italian origins he likes strong espresso which is about all we ever have, so every other call he stops for 10 minutes. Early last year the power went off for roughly 10 seconds while he was here, so OH asked if he knew any way of getting EDF to do something about it. As he told us, ERDF are responsible for the distribution of electricity with the continuity and quality of service. They are part of the EDF group but are also responsible for supply with most of the other companies in France. If they can't give us an answer about the issue then the Commission de Régulation de l’Energie (CRE) would be the next place to try. What it boiled down to is that via ERDF provides the service but the hardware, that is to say the lines and so on, actually belong to the state still and ERDF is given funding and directives on where work should be done. As he said, the priority is large urban centres which will still take many years to bring up to a high modern standard so that small cities and downward to rural households will be decades away.

Despite that, we occasionally complain to EDF since they are our supplier. We tried ERDF but the letter we got back said that they would look into it and inform us, in the meantime to address all issues of that type to EDF. We have never heard back from ERDF and EDF continue to make shallow promises and also look into it. Unless we ask we never get responses. Because of the respirator matter we also contacted CRE who have concluded that unless we have a serious power cut that endangers my health, EDF/ERDF are within rights to include supply upgrading and improvement in their existing modernisation programme.

15

What I mean Andrew is this sort of thing seems to happen across France, not all at the same time.
We will have these minor interruptions two or three times a day for two or three days and then nothing for months.

16

We have had most of our light bulbs about five years since I changed all the fittings and put in economy bulbs. One or two are fading but none have gone quickly, that's for sure.

17

I bought a UPS (onduleur) ages ago to protect my mainframe. Trouble is, it doesn't protect the internet access from Kiwi!

I read somewhere that lamps burn out a lot because of a poor earth??

18

we're one of those odd ball cases here as EDF doesn't exist :-O We have the SERC which is specific to Carmaux and the SĂ©gala carmausin :-)

19

Raymond

Can you ask them well you are at it why light bulbs don't last five minutes in France, i cant remember changing them as much back in the UK as we do here.and yes we also get mini power cuts, when i feel like a computer upgrade i just go and see my insurance and they just say send us the bill computers don't like mini power cuts.

20

It was fairly widespread around here, Laguepie, Segala; I'll ask for an explanation from EDF Albi.