ᐅ Commissioning a Temporary Power Distribution Unit Yourself

Hello everyone,

I urgently need your help. I requested temporary construction power through an electrician. Since the electrician does not rent out temporary power distribution boards, I rented one myself from a rental service.

The utility company came yesterday and connected the temporary power distribution board I rented to the network.

Today, I checked on the construction site to see if the power was working. Inside the distribution board, there was only a label saying "Power up to the main switch." I then turned on the main switch and inserted the circuit breakers. The load break switch was also engaged. However, I am not getting any power from the outlets. Are there any additional connections that need to be made on the temporary power distribution board? I assumed the utility company would handle that. The power should supposedly be present up to the main switch. How was it set up in your cases?

I have to submit a completion notification on Tuesday, and the basement builder is coming on Thursday!

Thank you for your help!

Hello, this is something your electrician can and must handle. You probably can’t assess everything that won’t work. So bring in a professional—you’re paying them anyway!

Meter installed?
The utility company is only responsible up to the handover point. After that, it’s your responsibility.

With us, it was like this: an electrician took care of the temporary power distribution box, and the utility company provided the electricity supply. We had to arrange both ourselves.

But tell me: what is your problem now, or what work is being done?

What does the electrician say about this? Actually, this is their responsibility, but it must be contractually or commission-wise clearly defined. The distribution network operator (DNO) is only responsible up to the handover point or the meter, just like inside the house. Beyond that, they have little interest...

You should be aware that construction site power distributors must be inspected before commissioning. In addition, daily RCD (residual current device) tests need to be carried out (also by the user), as well as monthly and semi-annual electrical measurements, visual inspections, insulation resistance tests, and so on by a qualified professional.