When does the water heating usually get turned off?
Load management is used when loads on the electricity network are very high. This is mostly
in the winter (typically from June-August), especially in the morning and early evening when
the demand for electricity peaks as people are turning on heaters and cooking. Peak demands
are usually between 8.00am and 9.30am, and between 5.00pm and 8.00pm.
Some load management may also take place in summer for network management reasons.
There may also be times when Transpower, or another electricity industry participant, requests
that Vector carry out load management.
How long is the hot water heating turned off?
The period of time that hot water will be turned off will vary depending on the amount of load
that needs to be reduced.
When used, load management typically affects a customer for less than 3 hours, but if needed
is sometimes used for up to five hours across the period a day (i.e. may be used in both the
morning and evening period, with reheating in the periods between). Under some extreme
weather conditions this time may need to be extended if the system has been damaged and
needs to be repaired. This is because priority is given to restoring power before hot water.
To minimise potential effects on customers, load management is shared between customers,
and is spread throughout the day rather than occurring in a single continuous period.