Why do electricity suppliers provide high voltage levels?
It is most common for network operators to set voltages towards the higher end of a statutory band for a number of reasons: • Voltage drop – setting a course tapping on substations ensures that supply quality is maintained across all customers on the grid i.e. the approximate 10% of premises that are already receiving voltage levels at the lower end of the statutory band would have their power supply seriously compromised by broad scale voltage reduction by the electricity suppliers. • Transmission losses – high voltage transmission produces lower losses on the network’s grid – thus saving the network operator money and improves the working life of their network assets. • Reducing the voltage would result in an immediate loss of income for the network operator and retailer, as consumers would be paying less for their supply. • It would take a colossal level of investment for the electricity suppliers to alter the electrical infrastructure to lower voltage universally while still ensuri
