One of our larger frustrations with the house is the complete lack of powerpoints in the rooms. The three children’s bedrooms only have one electrical point in each room, our bedroom has only two electrical powerpoints, and the main living areas also have a severe lack of powerpoints.

We have set-up a desk for our children on the “Meals” area of the house so that we can supervise them on the computer and with their homework, but there are no powerpoints in that area, and only two in the “Family” area. The “Formal Dining” room, which is my office, has only a single power point. From that single electrical point we are stuck running all of our networking, printer, and my computer from. It is definitely not an ideal set-up.

On top of that, the only thing that you are allowed to legally do in Australia for electrical work as a DIYer is replace a light bulb! Anything else must be done by a very costly electrician. I bet that the electrical unions absolutely loved getting that bit of legislation passed …

If you want to safely and securely lock up your personal access gate to your back yard there are a few things that you need to consider in addition to security.

One of the challenges that we have run into  in locking up our gate is making sure that the utility companies still have access to the meters. This includes:

• Gas
• Electrical
• Water

One way to do this is to learn your billing cycle and unlock your gate during the weeks that the meter readers are set to to their reading. The challenge to this is that the meter readers are not always consistent with when they come by, and sometimes you miss them. If the meter reader is unable to do an actual reading then they do an estimate, which isn’t always accurate.

Another option is what is advised by SA Power Networks:

Customers often ask us how they can secure their meter box to avoid it being tampered with.

You can choose to install a utility lock on the electricity meter box or relevant access point (such as a gate). The best solution is to install a utility lock. Utility locks may only be purchased from a member of the Master Locksmiths Association. Once the lock is installed (we recommend you get this done by an accredited locksmith) you will need to let us know. We have a master key and will be able to undertake meter readings.

***  UPDATE  ***

The electricity meter box forms part of the home owner/occupiers private electrical equipment and as such not owned by SA Power Networks. We don’t require the meter box be locked this is entirely at the home owners discretion.

Alternatively you can install a private lock, here’s our fact sheet which provides more information about how you can secure your meter box if you wish.

We’ve had one electricity bill estimate, that was wildly inaccurate, so we are now on the hunt for a replacement lock that meets the SA Power Network requirements …

Looks like this year about 600 homes in Townsville will be going to solar power in an Australian wide test to “demonstrate how solar power, smart meters, energy efficiency and new approaches to electricity pricing could combine to provide a sustainable energy future.”

When I first read this my first thought was “Where do I sign up?”, but we would not be eligible. The government has decided that the homes being selected for the test would be located on Magnetic Island, just off the coast of Townsville.

The idea to use Magnetic Island as a test bed makes a lot of sense. They are isolated and a small community that is already using solar power in a big way with solar hot water. Although Townsville has only about 5% of homes using solar hot water systems, Magnetic Island has significantly more homes on a solar hot water system. This is because most of Magnetic Island residents are long term residence, where as Townsville is known for it’s “transient population”. The savings found in using solar usually comes in about the 5th year of ownership, so it is a long term investment.

During the seven year period of the “Solar City Project” they reckon greenhouse gas emissions could be reduced by 50,000 tonnes, which is the same as pulling 1700 cars off the road.

Not a bad return for putting a few solar panels on your roof …

Source: Townsville homes goes solar | Townsville Bulletin News

Our original switchboard used to sit under our house attached to one of the bearers. Since the house has been lifted it was too high to read the meter box also with the house being enclosed the meter boxes needed to be moved outside anyways.

It was a bit of a process to get the box installed and moved as the electrician and the builder had to coordinate their time so that the wall was there, but not fully cladded when the switchboard was moved.

The meter box needs to be a certain distance from the front of the house, so for us that meant sticking the switchboard right in the middle under the front staircase. Thankfully the box can be painted, as right now it’s pretty out there, and hopefully that will help it to blend it better.

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