Urban myths re electricity/fuel/energy/power.

[ceti331]

Well, at least you'd get four or five hundred calories out of a deep-fried Mars bar, which is a good few more than we're likely to get from planet, raw or battered, a minimum of 56 million kilometres away.

"when mars is colonized it will be like the discovery of the americas all over again, a land with fresh resources to create new prosperity.."

heh. rust and cosmic rays.

[JohnB]

At least we know where to ship believers.

But if they survive, they may evolve into something even more horrific, and invade Earth! Or God may turn them into something even more horrific!

[adam2]

Another new urban, or should that be rural, myth to add to the list.

A local family are the last customer connected to a long and marginally sized overhead line. The transformer that supplies this line is at the far end of a long 2 wire 11KV line.
As a result the voltage that they receive is on the low side, averaging about 220 volts, and has dropped below 200 volts.

They are now convinced that they are paying "the full price for electricity" but are only receiving "weaker power"
I have tried to explain about meters charging for kilowatt hours, and not for ampere hours, but fear this has not been understood.

Anyway, the power company have been poking around and taking photographs, so perhaps an upgrade is planned.

[kenneal - lagger]

........
I have tried to explain about meters charging for kilowatt hours, and not for ampere hours, but fear this has not been understood.
.........

"Ignorance is bliss!"

[adam2]

Here is a new and seasonal electrical myth.
"My electricity bill always goes up at Christmas due to the corporation Christmas lights"

There is no evidence whatsoever that the festive illuminations were connected to the electricity meter of the consumer in question.

[kenneal - lagger]

Some people must live with their heads buried in the sand, Lurkalot!

[adam2]

I have moved from this thread, a large number of off topic posts regarding the relative merits of FF and EV, and the production of the electricity to charge these EVs.


Please try to keep this thread on the semi-light hearted subject of myths and legends.

http://www.powerswitch.org.uk/forum/vie ... hp?t=27299 link to moved posts.

[adam2]

And an old urban myth that has recently resurfaced, repeatedly.

"The street lights are connected to my electricity meter, which is unfair"

Or the related one in blocks of flats,
"Poor old Mrs. ABC has to pay for all the lighting in the common parts, it seems very unfair."

Both of which are usually followed by "I have contacted the power company/managing agents/my MP/local council, but they are unable to do anything"
Such beliefs are often stongly held and not easily modified when someone such as me demonstrates them to be erroneous.

[adam2]

Here is a new urban myth to add to the list.
As we are aware, the government "price cap" applies to domestic gas and electricity supplies. This limits the price per unit, but is commonly expressed as a certain amount per year, currently this is £1,277 a year. For an AVERAGE USER.

Foolish persons believe that this is an upper limit on the total bill, no matter how much they use ! One neighbour of mine has spent a lot more than that and is looking forward to receiving a refund of the difference.

Several customers in the local pub are expecting free energy in the future (rather than a cash refund) to "make up for the overcharging this year" There was considerable debate as to whether this is per calendar year, or per financial year.

Others want to know how to obtain a refund if they have spent more than the price cap on coal, LPG, or heating oil !

Oh dear.

[clv101]

"We're not gonna make it, are we? People, I mean."
~John Connor

[Catweazle]

There is a special cap for these people.

[adam2]

Another new urban, or should that be rural, myth to add to the list.

A local family are the last customer connected to a long and marginally sized overhead line. The transformer that supplies this line is at the far end of a long 2 wire 11KV line.
As a result the voltage that they receive is on the low side, averaging about 220 volts, and has dropped below 200 volts.

They are now convinced that they are paying "the full price for electricity" but are only receiving "weaker power"
I have tried to explain about meters charging for kilowatt hours, and not for ampere hours, but fear this has not been understood.

Anyway, the power company have been poking around and taking photographs, so perhaps an upgrade is planned.

Update regarding this. The supply has been improved, prompted by recent storm damage.
The two wire 11 KV line has been replaced by 3 wire, 3 phase. A new 3 phase transformer supplies the existing local overhead distribution which is now also 3 phase. Such luxury ! 3 phase even in outer Worzleshire !

[adam2]

A newish myth.
Is that "they have reduced the size of a unit of electricity" and that electricity should be sold by "actual quantity of electricity" and not by some arbitrary unit. Comparisons were made with ever shrinking sizes of chocolate bars.

A suspicion was also expressed that different retailers use different size units.

Oh dear. A unit of electricity is defined in law as being one kilowatt hour and has been since the very early days of electricity supply. This was determined by the British board of trade about 100 years ago, and is now the basis on which electricity is sold in every developed nation.

[Catweazle]

This new electricity isn't as good as the old stuff though. It's like Colmans mustard or Marmite - not a strong as it used to be.

[adam2]

This new electricity isn't as good as the old stuff though. It's like Colmans mustard or Marmite - not a strong as it used to be.

That is factually correct ! The nominal voltage is now 230 volts instead of 240 volts. Still sold by the KWH though.

I can remember the days of DC mains in a some districts ! that was proper electricity Also within living memory are non standard frequencies. 40 cycles was used in North East, 25 cycles for industry in many places, and 100 cycles in Lynmouth.

40 cycles was a bit low for domestic lighting and 25 cycles definitely too low for lighting.