Why some houses don't have their lights turned off, while others do it continuously: DTEK explanation
In Ukraine, there are rolling power outages to stabilize the energy system. However, not all buildings are left without electricity.
DTEK Kyiv Regional Electricity Networks explained the reason of why some buildings experience constant power outages for more than the planned four hours while others don't is due to the total power consumption that needs to be reduced.
"The power outage occurs at the request of the state-owned company NPC Ukrenergo, as soon as there is a need to balance the power system," the company emphasized.
It is noted that the company has a list of blackouts based on the total capacity that needs to be reduced to balance the power system. Therefore, lines that produce a certain amount of power are disconnected, which is why they are included in the list of possible outages.
According to DTEK, facilities located on the same line as critical infrastructure may not be subject to disconnection.
The outage for each customer will last no more than 4 hours. However, there may be a small time lag of 30-40 minutes to reconnect the power supply between groups. If needed, this process can be repeated within a day after 4 hours if Ukrenergo does not cancel the use of stabilization outages.
However, it is impossible to predict the exact time of the stabilization outage, as it depends on the state of the power system.
"We do our best to ensure that stabilization outages do not exceed 4 hours. But if the imbalance in the power system is significant, this time may increase," DTEK said.
In this situation, Ukrainians are understanding of power outages. However, some people complain that in some settlements in the Kyiv region, there was no electricity for 9, 10, or even 12 hours.
Why the power goes out almost immediately after stabilization blackouts
According to DTEK, some people have already experienced emergency blackouts after stabilization outages. This happens because when the power supply is restored after stabilization outages, all customers immediately turn on powerful electrical appliances. This causes a significant increase in load and accidents on the power grids. As a result, customers are repeatedly left without electricity.
To avoid this, it is necessary to follow simple rules of reasonable energy consumption.
That is why DTEK has given advice on how to act in case of stabilization blackouts:
- Unplug all energy-intensive appliances and switches in rooms where there are no people.
- When the power comes back on, do not turn on all power-consuming appliances at once. First, turn on one, and then the other after the first one has been turned off.
- Program devices with timers to work at night - from 00:00 to 06:00 in the morning.
- Connect electric motors and pumping stations to the network 20-30 minutes after the power is turned on.
- If you are a business client, consider turning off outdoor lighting on the facades of offices, restaurants, and shopping centers.
As a reminder, Ukrainians were urged to reduce electricity consumption from 07:00 to 23:00 to ensure that our energy system can withstand the situation. The reason for this situation was the terrorist attacks by Russians on critical energy facilities in Ukraine.
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