Connecting Power to a Granny Flat in Sydney
Maximising your property’s operation and utilisation is a vital aspect of being a homeowner and landowner. If you have a granny flat on your property or are looking into building one to lease or for the family to stay in, connecting power to the unit in a safe, functional way is imperative, and the upkeep thereof.
There are vital aspects to know and understand to optimise your power usage and supply with the granny flat integrated. Here is our guide to successfully attaching your granny flat to your property’s power supply.
What is Granny Flat Metering?
When it comes to connecting power to a granny flat, a granny flat meter is the best way to do this. A licensed level 2 electrician will need to install your granny flat electricity meter. This meter will ultimately allow the unit to run separately from your main power, meaning consumption is split and therefore, so are the bills due to the separation of supply.
A granny flat meter is installed as a separate meter to that of your mains. It will have its own power switch and fuses. They are separate meters typically installed in the same meter box as your mains power and will allow you to measure the granny flat’s power usage individually.
Depending on what you intend on using the unit for, granny flat metering can have benefits like:
- Making your life easier by not having to try to work out who has used what
- It may even be necessary by law depending on how your flat is built
- It will help avoid arguments and stress between you and the occupants of the flat
- The separation of supply can help prevent placing you into a higher usage bracket which can save you money at the end of the day
- It provides extra safety and reliability for the unit’s power as the flat would have its own switchboard installed, meaning its own safety switches and circuit breakers
Connecting Power To Granny Flat Using Mains Power
When using your mains power, you will need to connect the granny flat to your main house’s power supply using a mains power cable. Joining power to a granny flat this way will mean you will get one electricity bill for the entire property, and the power connections will not be separate.
This can have its place if you plan on incorporating a charge for electricity into the unit’s rental. However, it can be difficult to accurately gauge exactly how much a person would use or which appliances they make use of the most.
If you plan to have a family stay in the unit and don’t expect reimbursement for the electricity usage, connecting power to a granny flat using mains is the simplest, most cost-effective option.
Are Split Meters Worth the Cost?
The separation of supply can save you money despite people thinking the initial cost isn’t worth it. Landlords often include utilities in the rental fee. If renters are not accountable for their power usage, they are more likely to be irresponsible with how and what they use and for how long.
As mentioned earlier, separating your meters could lower your bill by taking you out of the higher consumption bracket. Split meters also remove the nuisance that comes with splitting up the bill and prevent disagreements and lawsuits.
These benefits add to the value split meters can provide you and your household with and ultimately makes your life easier.
Installing a Sub-Meter
A subsidiary meter is another option for you when considering connecting power to a granny flat. With a sub-meter, there is still no separation of supply like with granny flat metering.
However, this meter will enable you to monitor and evaluate the electricity usage on the portion of your private installation, the granny flat, past the revenue meter. Therefore, your main revenue meter will still record the total properties consumption as a whole, including the flat.
The sub-meter will then record the consumption of the sub-metered area only, which in this case is your granny flat, and allow you to gauge the unit’s usage accurately and therefore fairly charge for the power used in that area.
Solar Power on Granny Flats
A more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly solution to connecting power to a granny flat is, of course, to include solar panels. Connecting solar panels to a battery storage system is a great way to lessen the unit’s overall impact on your property and naturally help create a more sustainable approach to your land’s power usage.
However, you will still require a granny flat meter in this case as the stored solar power is only there to reduce how much power is used, not replace the supply. You can also consider installing some skylights for more natural lighting and installing LED globes for your lights will be more efficient versus older bulbs.
Ensuring the flat is insulated and ventilated correctly will also help with consumption as it will reduce the heating and cooling requirements and demand in the flat. Implementing one of these alternatives or combining them will help you maximise your property’s energy efficiency and reduce its impact on the globe.
Wrapping Up Connecting Power to a Granny Flat in Sydney
To wrap up, the most effective way to supply safe and optimal power to your granny flat is by installing a granny flat meter. Connecting power to a granny flat by metering offers convenience, proper safety, and peace of mind that regardless of what the unit should be used for in the future, your power supply will always be sound, separated and installed as effectively as possible.