3 Phase Balancing

[kojakb]

Is there any benefit to balancing your three phases, with regards to the bill ??

I thought that it would be in your interests (as a business) to balance you three phases, as you would be charged at the highest phase rate ?!?

 

[Lectrician]

You used to be charged a fee for unbalanced loads, but these days you do not. The moderm credit meters are not capable of recording this anyway!

If you are a large user, you are best to balance the load to get the full power availability - afterall, on larger supplies you pay an availability charge!

 

[kojakb]

It is currently on an old style check meter

 

[pdcelec]

balancing the phases is preferable. Power factor correction is a way of saving on the bill. Is the meter measuring kWh or kVA?

 

[kojakb]

It is measuring Kwh

 

[pdcelec]

power factor correction would certainly help saving on the bill

 

[Lectrician]

Would it?

 

[pdcelec]

maybe!

 

[Pensdown]

No

kojakb, Appendix 11 of the 17th makes goods reading for un-balanced 3phase loads.

 

[fattony]

I could be wrong but I was told that heavy users get fined if they have a poor power factor and I worked in a large building in London and they spent thousands on this high tec power factor correction equipment so the electricity supplier couldnt fine them

 

[electronicsuk]

I could be wrong but I was told that heavy users get fined if they have a poor power factor and I worked in a large building in London and they spent thousands on this high tec power factor correction equipment so the electricity supplier couldnt fine them

Industrial metering is usually based on maximum demand, that is, the amount of power in VA that the business is ever likely to require at any given time. The greater the maximum demand the more the business will be charged for supply, and any power requirements beyond that will incur hefty charges.

Power factor correction reduces the apparent power consumption (VA) in the system by compensating for highly reactive loads such as heavy industrial motors, thus reducing the apparent power consumption by which the supply is billed.

 

[Lectrician]

You are not normally charged extra anymore for poor power factor, but applying power factor correction can be a benefit when installing long cable runs for large loads such as submains. This is especially so with todays cable prices.

Industrial supplies are based on size, and you pay an "availability charge" for the privildge of having an "agreed capacity" supplied to you. If you exceed this capacity, you are charged.

I work on some refridgeration sites, and they have mains loadings in excess of 800amps a phase, and would be charged £200 per 24hr for any jumps over their agreed capacity. It can be a juggling war trying to balance the need to pay for a high agreed capacity vers the cost of exceeding the agreed availabilty. This is especially so in refridgerated sites who use more lecky in the summer than they do the winter months.

Recently, it was more cost effective for a site I deal with to pay the 'fine' than to increase their capacity, as they where already upto the maximum 300amp per phase, and the cost of an upgrade from the DNO was in excess of £75,000 without contracting costs. This was due to a poor HV supply to a smallish industrial estate. The HV system needed reinforcing to provide the required supply. I lost count of the amount of times I had to attend site and whap the ACB back on (the DNO padlock was missing )

Just as a reference, it is typical for an electricity bill to run anywhere between £15,000 and £50,000 per month on sites like this.