Potencia

Short answer - yes.  Had this same issue where we couldn’t have hot water service, kettle and oven on at the same time.  It would trip.  2 x 2kW heaters on full and then something else with around a 1kW draw will trip.

Either need to switch heaters down to 750W, turn one heater off .... or do as we did and get a gas heater (electricity is too bloody expensive here for electric heaters!!)

Your best bet ist to raise your potencia. This can only be done by an officially authorised Electrician. He will perhaps push through new and thicker cables from your main Fuse box to the Meter on the street and fit in a new central fuse next to your internal Fusebox.

Whatever you do dont commission him unless he gives you an "all inclusive" quote, noting this down on a piece of paper in front of him and asking for his visible confirmation simultaneously. BUt dont let on that you will be noting down his Quote until after he has given you his firm quote. If he hedges drop him like a hot brick and look for another one.  Dont accept any increases in the price after the work is done.

Pay only what you were initially quoted.

If he makes trouble call the police.

We all have our rights.

Or, just speak to your energy supplier and they will arrange to increase the potencia

Yesssss - as long as the wiring into the house from the distribution box can handle it and as long as the main switch in the house can handle it ..... seems a lot of places have a 25 - 30 amp main switch, which will be fine for 4,6kW but you wouldn’t want to put much more through it - especially if the wiring in is rated only for around 4,6 kW max

Thank you all

DM, The point I was making is that if you speak directly to the supplier they will increase the potencia, meaning they will do everything required including meter tails and main breaker IF required.

Weeelllllllll ..... that’s a good theory .... but when we asked Iberdrola to increase Potencia, they said “ok” and did so.

It wasn’t until a couple of weeks later we had to get an electrician in because the increased load was tripping the 15 amp main switch we had!!  Iberdrola did not replace the main switch or even inspect the wiring to see if it was capable of carrying increased load .....

It was in fact February this year that there was a failure of an electrical component at around 2:30 am that resulted in 380v coming into the house, blowing the microprocessors in the Fridge and Washing machine, a PC power supply and two laptop power packs (and various chargers)

It took 4 months to resolve with all parties concerned denying any responsibility.  Iberdrola said it was Endesa’s problem, Endesa said it was for the communities insurance to pay, Communities insurer said it was householders insurance and householders pointed the finger back to our contracted supplier, Iberdrola.  It was a mess and left us fighting for compensation for 4 months.

The point being that what electricity companies are supposed to do and what they actually do do are often two different things

Hi again DM.

Sorry to hear you had such bad problems, my experience with Iberdrola was very different in that they sent one of their electricians to the house to check that the main breaker and meter tails could take the increased load prior to increasing the potencia.

On the subject of the increased voltage, I would be very interested to know how they explained how this could happen as the voltage supplied to a domestic property  (eg your house) at 230V comes down a cable that will also serve neighboring properties so did your neighbors have similar problems.

CC

We are in an urbanización at Valle del Este; one electrical station appears to supply a block of 9 units.  Something the “Endesa / Iberdrola” side of the meter fused, I think it was a rectifier if some kind (big long copper strip), allowing a full 3 phase supply into the block of nine units.  As VdE is mostly holiday lets, only 3 of the 9 had power going into them at the time, and the other Two units were away and had turned their main switches off, so none of their electrics got fried.  We were the only ones living full time there, so we got juiced.