Why electricity boards need to pay us for damaging our fridges, TVs, A/Cs

Many of us have had our fridges, A/Cs and TVs damaged because of power problems

Replacement of equipment is often the only option when this happens

We think damage happened because of voltage surge but things are more complex

Power is supposed to be of certain voltage, current and frequency

Sudden high current can happen if there is an earth fault somewhere in power system

Beyond this there is something called power quality

For instance, electric chargers used for e-vehicles can pollute the power lines by injecting “harmonics”

Solar power has unhealthy components that can affect equipment

For instance, the MRI’s or EEG’s diagnostic ability may be affected

Our electricity boards are required to ensure good quality power is supplied

If they don’t, they are liable to pay for damage that polluted power can cause to our equipment

Regulations cover power quality besides limits on voltage and other fluctuations