Power supply is a serious issue. Aside from air conditioning, renovations introduce additional loads. e.g. replacing a gas cooktop with an induction cooktop has an impact, as it can impose up to 7kW of incremental demand. Ditto with replacing gas HWS or gas heating with electric services. Greenies will want to do this in their deluded belief that removing household gas will save the planet.
Our 12 townhouse complex’s main switchboard burnt down on a hot day after a 100A Ausgrid service fuse exploded. Switchboard replacement cost $15k, with a twist. The 3x100A underground supply was reduced to 3x80A due to new Ausgrid rules and further reduced to 3x63A because of Ausgrid’s demand for additional fuses to protect their new fuses. We suspect recent extensive renovations in one townhouse that shared a phase with others caused the fire, although air conditioning upgrades in other homes may have contributed. We were quoted $250k by Ausgrid to provide additional power. Despite the shared power supply, each townhouse had its own title. 4 owners elected to pay $5k each for feeds from nearby poles. Ugly, but necessary. Even then, Ausgrid said a $250k bill would go to the first owner who exceeded the available supply to the street. It’s a ticking time bomb, as renovations will continue and the increase in dual income households means electricity consumption is more concentrated, with washing machines and dryers used more during the evening peak. WFH helps.