Variable voltage in your electricity supply

The voltage level provided to homes and businesses fluctuates throughout the day. It is increasingly impacted by additional consumption and the introduction of embedded generation to the network, for example, wind, solar, and storage batteries.

In some situations, the voltage excursions may have already existed and are now detectable due to the installation of more sensitive equipment, such as EV chargers.

How voltage changes impact you

Voltages of 253V or more can disrupt the EV charging process by triggering the protective devices installed to prevent damage or danger.

To reduce the impact of short term voltage values of 253V or more on EV charging equipment, the Institute of Engineering Technology have published a new standard for device settings (IET 01).

The revised voltage trip settings are 262.2V and 184V. We recommend the installation of equipment that aligns with this new standard. Speak to your installer or contact us if you have any questions or concerns about the settings on your equipment.

What NGED can do

We are determined to contribute to a low carbon future and are working on ways to better control the voltage on our network. This includes proposed changes to align the UK voltage range with that of Europe (230V +/-10%) and active voltage management systems connected to the low voltage network.

Where we find that the voltage presented at the supply terminals to be outside statutory limits (no ten minute mean value over a seven-day measurement period to be greater than 253V), we will seek to resolve the problem at no cost to the customer and with as little disruption as possible.

Next steps

If you are still concerned about fluctuations in the voltage of your supply, get in touch with our team.