Choosing the right electricity meter wattage is crucial to ensure the proper functioning of household appliances, avoiding power outages and optimising costs on your bill. In this guide we help you understand how your power meter works, what power bands are available, and how to assess which one is best suited to your energy use.
The power of your electricity meter is the maximum amount of electricity that can be drawn from the grid at a given time. This is measured in kilowatts (kW). However, a distinction must be made between committed power and available power. Committed power is the power level agreed between the supplier and the customer when the contract is agreed. The available power, on the other hand, is the actual maximum power that the meter can deliver at a given time and is generally about 10 per cent higher than the committed power. For most Italian homes, the committed power is usually 3 kW, while the available power is up to 3.3 kW. When the sum of the instantaneous consumption of household appliances exceeds this value, the meter temporarily cuts off the supply to protect the system.
The meter power affects household consumption. According to ARERA (Regulatory Authority for Energy Networks and the Environment), each kW of committed power corresponds to an expenditure of approximately 25 euro/year (including VAT), so that increasing or reducing the power by 1 kW results in a price increase or saving of this magnitude.
Choosing the right power for your electricity meter requires a preliminary analysis of your home. In particular, it is important that you have in mind how many and which appliances you use, in which rooms and how often. Only in this way can you correctly estimate energy consumption and understand how much power you really need to meet your daily needs, avoiding waste or interruptions. To find the most suitable meter for your needs, you can:
Energy-efficient appliances (class A or higher) consume less energy, cutting bills and environmental impact, and reduce the chance of the meter going off. Of course, if several devices are used simultaneously, it is essential to choose sufficient committed power.
In the free market, users can choose different power levels for their electricity meter, from 0.5 kW to 30 kW, depending on their lifestyle and the technological equipment in their home. It is possible to move from one level to another, in particular:
From 0.5 kW up to 6 kW committed power with 0.5 kW stages from band to band (therefore, 0.5 - 1 - 1.5 up to 6 kW)
From 6 kW to 10 kW in 1 kW stages (therefore, 6 - 7 - 8 up to 10 kW)
From 10 kW to 30 kW with 5 kW stages
For small houses with few appliances, or second homes that are hardly used, an output of 3 kW might perhaps be excessive. A 2 or 2.5 kW meter would be sufficient, but not suitable for the simultaneous use of several appliances. For those who want to install high-efficiency electronic appliances and replace gas-powered appliances (e.g. replacing cookers with electric induction models), the most cost-effective solution would be to opt for a more powerful meter.
In the event that the power of the supply does not adequately meet household needs, whether excessive or insufficient, it is possible to change the power and/or voltage of the meter.
The power of your supply, in fact, can be varied up or down. A power increase should be considered if there is an interruption in your power supply while using several appliances at the same time. Reduction, on the other hand, is recommended if the power of the meter exceeds household needs. To fit into a lower power meter band, it might be useful to use appliances sequentially, and not simultaneously. For example, only using the dishwasher after switching off the oven will result in lower instantaneous consumption. In this way, a 3kW meter may be sufficient even with very energy-intensive appliances.
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The Formidabile Luce offer includes a discount on the list price of the energy component for customers switching from the Servizio di Maggior Tutela.
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