ESBN Maximum Import Capacity

That particular camera was about €3000 as it was a professional Flir camera when bought a few years ago apparently...We just have one in work and I borrowed it... You can though get them where you attach it to your phone on Amazon for cheap enough, about €130 and up from just a quick search.

Had the designer call to the house last week from networks. He's to come back to me in the next week or so.. supply is looped so has to be unlooped drive dug up and new lines run across the road for both myself and neighbors.. can run to neighbors meterbox across our side passage way to avoid them digging much..he said I'd have to sign a legal waiver to allow lines to be repaired of necessary. They cover the costs of works and making surfaces right again. Well as part of the cost to them for the upgrade. He didn't seem to know the difference between 16kva and 20kva connection.. he thought the higher connection might be measured with cts versus smart meter but I doubt that? If I'm doing it all I'd go for 20kva to ensure enough bandwidth for the future. I'll keep the thread updated with progress. They don't seem to move very fast so could be 4 weeks before my next update..

Yeah I looked into 16kva while back and the engineer said for 20kva they have to dig up and lay new pipes and cables from those small ESB boxes we have once every couple of houses and they charge you for the fees for going from that box to your drive way and then it's your job to do the run from the driveway to meter, big job.

Engineer did say you can go to 29kva on single phase too so ask them for that instead since they're paying 🤣

When you got that assessment done, what did the engineer say was the extent of works required for 16kVA from ESBN's side?

The extent of the works will be very individual. Could be anything from just swapping out the fuse to digging up roads.

I think I was fobbed off with an excuse.

What did he say? He would at least have to give you a cost or was it just alot of hand waving and he ran away?

This has been a long journey to get the engineer's visit, I originally contacted ESBN about a MIC increase back in June 2025. I got a call from the engineer after I had escalated to the point where I don't think I could be ignored any more and the engineer had to visit.

He pointed at the fuse and said all he'd do is change it to a 80-100A version. It says 60-80A at the moment. That was the extent of the visit. I would have thought he'd have looked at the junction box a few houses over, but to be honest, I wouldn't have the first notion of what to expect from a site visit.

I've worked retail long enough to know when I'm being fobbed off. There was a lot of hand waving and excuses and while he didn't run away, he did retreat to his van fairly quickly after the meter check. I checked my CCTV, he was there less than 12 minutes, we were at the meter box for 90 seconds and at his van for about 8 minutes, the rest of the time he was parking or driving away.

Back in March 2025 when I started the solar upgrade plans, my RECI seemed to think the upgrade would be possible without the need for destructive measures like trenches and rerunning cabling. I'll try to nail him down again and see what he recommends.

Yes I have 29kVa single phase. If anyone is upgrading no reason not to go full hog.

No smart meter yet; it's the same as the three phase ones.

my bother has 29? kva single phase.. he doesnt have a smart meter but apparently is on a list for one? so they must be a thing.. no word back from my designer but that doesnt surprise me.. ill follow up again next week

ok so contact from esb networks re my upgrade. They have to unloop me from my neighbours which means neighbours drive has to be dug up. They are going to have that conversation and cover all costs to make that right. They reckon they will leave it back to its current state with no cost to the neighbour.

For me there isnt any digging if i am happy to limit to 16kva connection. If i want 20kva they would have to run a new cable to my meter and id be liable for the cost to put the ducting in place for my connection. So the question really is it worth going to 16kva pay the 2k, get my consumer board and tails upgraded or should i bite the bullet get a new duct put in for 20kva..

or do nothing and just stuck with 12kva.. our drive is cobble lock so i could get the lads who laid it to lift and put back a section which wouldnt cost a fortune.. if im doing it at all id rather go 20kva.. if im charging house batteries at 9kwh, car at 7kwh then the 16kva connection is maxed out already.. the extra 4kva would give headroom for a heatpump.. house load.. its probably all a madness

Yep trying to figure out the metering situation for 20kva

One of the things that I know will kinda bother me is the neighbours will get a brand new supply easily capable of 20kva at no charge at all to them. They probably won't even upgrade from the 12kva, no solar, no EV etc.. but I guess that's just the luck of the draw

I'm hoping not..

Also a new build here 16kva connection and 25sqr cabling from meter to consumer unit. I have a 100A main breaker though in the consumer unit and almost certain the main ESB breaker in the meter box is also 100A. Also have a 100A rated change over switch at entry to the consumer unit.

I would have thought all new installs would be the same (be that 80A or 100A).

Most I’ve pulled though was around 17Kw and only for around 30 mins when I was charging my home batteries, the disinfection cycle ran on the heat pump and I had base loads + dryer and dishwasher running. I usually avoid charging the home batteries during the once per week disinfection cycle now.

If you're getting 20kVa just get 29kVa and max it out.

You never know when you might want to charge 2 EVs at full whack while also not worrying about running every appliance in your house. It's how things should be.