OVERLOADING

Signs you might be overloading

Running lots of home appliances at once and noticed your lights flickering? You might be overloading your network fuse.

Overloading isn’t just inconvenient – it’s unsafe and puts you at risk.

A typical household can run up to 14 kilowatts (kW) of electrical appliances, or 63 Amps, at one time.

If you turn on everything at once – heat pumps, induction cooker, washing machine, dishwasher, dryer, spa pool, charge the EV etc, you risk blowing your network fuse to your home.

Network Fuse

As well as the fuse box inside your home, there’s a fuse outside that connects your place to our electricity distribution network, and like any fuse it has a limit. This network fuse protects the cable into your property from overloading. 

Running too many household appliances at once could put you at higher risk of blowing the network fuse. For example, an EV charger is like adding another half a house of appliances.  

Spread the load

Peak power use for most homes is around 7 to 8.30am and 5.30 to 8pm. That's when most things are running at once so spreading out, or delaying one or two large power drawing appliances, reduces the risk of experiencing an outage.

So if you’re driving an EV, delay charging it until after you’ve finished using those other appliances. And if you’re using your heat pumps, the dishwasher, oven and induction cooktop, delay putting on the washing machine and dryer.

Spreading the load might also allow you to take advantage of cheaper off-peak rates or special offers from your electricity retailer, such as free power shouts - saving you money on your monthly bill. Just be mindful of how many, and what type of appliances you run during these times, to avoid possible overloading.

If the power goes off

If you do experience an unplanned power cut call us on 0800 800 935 so we can arrange a fault technician to come and sort things out.

If you need help from Fire and Emergency New Zealand, call 111 immediately.

Knowing how much power you’re using

You can pick up plug-in power monitors and meters from hardware stores, electrical goods stores, or online. These handy devices help you identify which appliances consume the most energy. Once you know what’s drawing the most power, you can prevent overloading and explore ways to cut your electricity costs.

Consumer New Zealand offers useful guidance on typical running costs for heating, lighting and appliances, along with practical tips to reduce your power bill. Check out their advice here.