How to prepare your home for winter: tips from DTEK Kyiv Regional Grids

Thermal power generation22 September 2021

A lot of people switch on their heaters in the cold weather, use electric kettles and other home appliances all at the same time, which significantly increase the load on home and distribution networks. Overloading can cut the power in a single apartment as well as an entire apartment building and even a street. To avoid such situations, DTEK Kyiv Regional Grids shares some tips for preparing the network for the autumn and winter season.

To avoid power cuts in the cold season, DTEK Kyiv Regional Grids encourages its customers to figure out whether the internal networks of their homes will be able to withstand the load of all household appliances that they plan to use at the same time.

To do this, add up all the power of household appliances, including electric heating, underfloor heating, lighting, etc., and then compare it with the permitted capacity that can be found in the distribution agreement. In the Kyiv region, such an agreement can be concluded with DTEK Kyiv Regional Grids. If, according to your calculations, the simultaneous electricity consumption of your household appliances may exceed the permitted capacity, please contact DTEK Kyiv Regional Grids with a request to increase it.

It is very convenient to apply for an increase in permitted capacity online through the DTEK Kyiv Regional Grids website. The company receives approximately 400 such requests each month, and about third of them are submitted online.

"DTEK strives to become a benchmark for customer focus. We develop our remote services so that our customers save their time and can use our services 24/7. One such service is capacity increase, which is especially important before the cold weather arrives,” says Vitalii Shayda, Director General at DTEK Kyiv Regional Grids.

Also, the company's customers need to check the good condition of the power supply in the house or apartment. Keep in mind that it is dangerous to do electrical work yourself. It is better to ask an electrician to do this work.

In addition, DTEK Kyiv Regional Grids recommends distributing loads on the network. Turn on the most powerful devices one by one and try to avoid peak load hours, which are usually between 7:00AM and 9:00AM and between 6:00PM and 8:00PM. It is also advisable to use heaters, dishwashers and washing machines at night. This will not only save the network from overload, but also save up to 50% on the night rate.