Tips from DTEK Donetsk Grids: How to Keep the Lights on in the Heat

Thermal power generation25 June 2021

According to the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center, hot weather with over +35°C heatwaves is expected within Donetsk Region in the next 3 days. Because of such hot weather, people are using cooling home appliances quite extensively, and thus overloading the network. DTEK Donetsk Grids here gives some tips on how to keep the lights on when the temperature is high.

One common power grid problem during heatwaves is power cuts because of overloads. A lot of customers are turning on energy-consuming home appliances (air conditioners, climate systems) all at once. Thus, such appliances work at full capacity in high temperatures and often exceed the design capacity of indoor and outdoor networks. As a result, power lines fail, there is a power cut, and people in Donetsk and the region are left without power.

“DTEK is a reliable and conscious business. DTEK Donetsk Grids consistently renews the region's energy infrastructure and upgrades the equipment. But we cannot guarantee a reliable power supply if customers exceed the design capacity of the network. This provokes failures and shutdowns. To avoid them, please, follow some simple rules to ensure that your home always has lights on and comfort.,” says Oleksii Degtiarev, CEO of DTEK Donetsk Grids.

This is especially true for old buildings, where indoor and outdoor networks (electrical lines, transformers, etc.) were designed and built keeping in mind a minimum set of home appliances. People have many energy-intensive equipment these days, including powerful climate systems. Thus, we face the situation when the networks cannot withstand it. Especially during peak consumption hours and during periods of extreme temperatures.

Below are some tips from DTEK Donetsk Grids on how to keep your lights on in the heat:

When buying electrical equipment, try to choose energy efficiency class of A, A+, A++, A+++;
Do not turn on all energy-consuming devices in your home all at once;
If there are several air conditioners in the house, turn it on only in the room where you are. Remember that in hot weather the temperature difference outside the window and inside the house should not exceed 10°C;
Upgrade electrical networks in your own apartments and houses;
Remember that the electrical networks of your apartment and the building in general are designed for the consumption of a certain amount of electrical power. The power might shut down if you exceed this value. The exact value is given in your distribution agreement with DTEK Donetsk Grids;
Have an electrician's contacts close at hand. If there is a failure because of an in-house problem, then it should be solved by a person responsible for the in-house networks (management company, condominium, owner);
If there is a power cut because of the overload, please, turn off all energy-consuming devices and turn on the automatic circuit-breaker. If the circuit-breaker keeps tripping, please, contact an electrician. Do not try to fix it yourself, it is dangerous!;

You can report a shutdown and any other network failure using the chatbot on Viber or Telegram, as well as on the company’s website in section “Planned and Emergency Outages”. If you found your address there, that means that our energy workers know about the shutdown. If you didn’t find your address, please, leave a message on the company’s website, or contact our call centers at (0629) 450 473, (093/096/099) 4500473. Another option is to contact the company through private messages on the DTEK Donetsk Grids Facebook page.