On Sat, 05 Mar 2016 21:11:01 -0000, "Mr Macaw" wrote:

On Sat, 05 Mar 2016 19:50:19 -0000, wrote:


More wires and outlets all over the house, inconvenient I guess.

Why are more outlets "inconvenient"?
In fact our code requires that you are pretty much never more than 6
feet from a receptacle, not crossing a door or other opening.
240 equipment is generally going to be fixed in place anyway.

I will say that in my travels I was impressed with the 240v tea
kettle, if you really make that much tea.

It is interesting that you only have 11kva transformers.
No, 11kV, not 11kVA. I meant the voltage going into their primaries.

We actually have much bigger ones than yours then, the one opposite me serves about 100 houses. It's very large and when it was replaced I saw them unload it off a flatbed lorry, it took up half the trailer. In case flatbed lorry means nothing over there, this big: http://www.truckexporter.co.uk/sites...?itok=2iIv3msv

OK my fault. I had understood that you folks did distribution from
centralized transformers.
I think we went will smaller transformers and maintaining the medium
voltage for distribution because our homes tend to be farther apart.
The I2R losses from 240v distribution over many hundreds of feet would
be substantial. What is your typical load calculation for a home?
We have a minimum service requirement of 24KVA (100 amps) and 400 amp
services are not uncommon. They do build a 125% cushion in that
calculation and the required feeders are only 80% of that calculation
for the entire load of a dwelling.
I am sure Americans still use more power than you folks across the
pond but isn't that our way ;-)
My usage ranges from about 2 MWH a month to around 2.5 MWH when the AC
is on. That is between $200 and $300 with all the fees taxes and other
charges.
It is an "all electric" house tho, including pumping water. I have no
other utilities.