It might! You may have looked at all the breakers in your home panel and added them up, only to be baffled as to why there are 345 amps of branch breakers installed on your 200 amp panel.
B.C. electrical code sets out a calculation (created by very smart people) that allows your electrician to determine how many amps are required for any combination of loads in a house. Some items like a range are entered below their rating, some must be entered at their electrical rating, some that run continuously are entered at 125% of their rating. There are values for square footage area of the home, and also something special like that pottery kiln in the basement studio.
This is easily added up by your B.C. Red Seal Electrician and their trusty code book (almost in our sleep), so don’t hesitate to ask!
It is possible that you do have an obsolete switch in the wall that was abandoned, but more than likely it will control one half of an outlet that is meant for floor lamps. While not so common in the age of LED pot lights, it is still common practice for any room that does not have a light fixture wired in, to switch an outlet instead. Often this system gets messed up as changes are made, or wall outlets are replaced.
Still need help, or would like an overhead light installed? Give a ring to your B.C. Red Seal Electrician and we’ll help you sort it out!
In a residential setting, by far the largest power use is from space heating or water heating, (Although one callout we remember, the culprit was a bitcoin mining computer!). So while the kids may leave the lights on constantly, it will take a much bigger load to create a significant issue with your power bill.
There is a lot of smart meter data that can be accessed at the BC Hydro customer portal which is a great place to start tracking down errant power use. However if you need further expertise to analyze the problem, give a ring to your B.C. Red Seal Electrician and we’ll help you sort it out!
