• Household electricity supply • Types of circuits • Electrical terms • Charges on a domestic electricity bill
Electricity is a form of energy, created from renewable or non-renewable processes and supplied to the home for a variety of tasks, e.g. lighting and heating.
Household electricity supply
1. Electricity generation: electricity is generated in a power plant and sent to the home via overhead distribution lines.
Home
Distribution line
Power plant
Mains service cable
2. Mains service cable: a mains service cable carries electricity to the home from the nearest distribution line via an underground duct.
Did you know
An underground duct is red in colour so that it is easily seen. It must be covered with a yellow ESB warning tape, which alerts people digging that dangerous electricity cables are underneath.
3. Meter cabinet: the mains service cable enters a sealed meter cabinet, normally located on an outdoor wall of a home. A meter inside the cabinet records electricity consumption. A night-rate meter may also be installed to record night-rate/off-peak consumption.
4. Consumer unit/main fuse board: electricity is brought into the home from the outdoor meter box via cables to the indoor consumer unit/ main fuse board. It contains a main switch that can be used to turn off the electricity supply to the home and a Residual Circuit Device (RCD) to protect from electrical faults.
• Electrical safety devices
• Guidelines for the safe use of electricity in the home.
• Wiring a plug
CHAPTER 23 SYSTEMS AND SERVICES
Did you know
Meter cabinets are placed on an outdoor wall so that the meter can be read by ESB Networks meter readers.
