Forum: Can we share power to save money?

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Electricity meters - split one supply to save money.

There has been a trend over the past few years for blocks that had one electricity supply, who then shared the costs according to unit entitlements, to install separate meters.

Why? Because the empty-nester couple in the three-bed sub-penthouse would use less power and hot water than the two couples sharing the two-bedder further down the building, perhaps.

It was also seen as a way of reducing the blocks’ carbon footprint because people tend to be less wasteful if they have to pay for the energy they use.

But one Flatchatter wants to reverse the trend – kind of – by going back to a single energy supply for the  whole block.

“Is it possible for us to have one connection to [the power network] instead of each unit having its own connection? That way we’d only pay one supply charge and divide it between us.

“The strata corp would get a cheap electricity plan and each unit would have its own consumption meter behind the [main] meter for billing.”

It sounds simple but is it.  On reader suggests it would be considered an embedded network and the power companies have special rules for them.

As usual, one Flatchatter knows the answer and you can find it HERE.

Elsewhere on the Forum

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  • Is it true that 75 per cent of owners can force the other in the block to sell?  That’s HERE.
  • Owner didn’t pay levies for four years then was declared bankrupt and meanwhile we changed strata managers. How do we untangle that? Start HERE.
  • Can the strata committee make ex gratia payments off the books?  That’s HERE.
  • UPDATE: The dog left by the indoor pool while its owners were out – That’s HERE.
  • UPDATE: Smoking by-law anxiety continues HERE.

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