ᐅ Upgrading House Connection and Construction Cost Subsidy from 30 kW to 40 kW – Any Experiences?
Created on: 3 Jul 2025 20:18
H
hugi-01
Hello,
Our Vaillant VWL 55/6 heat pump has been running since October 24, and the heating technician / electrician still hasn’t fully completed the registration process.
Now we received an email from the utility company EWE-Netz:
“To ensure everything runs smoothly from the start, we checked whether the capacity of your device matches your house connection and our grid. The answer is ‘No, unfortunately not.’ The individual components are not yet sufficiently sized. Your connection and our grid first require an upgrade.”
Today, we received an offer for the upgrade of our house connection:
“Construction cost contribution for power increase from 30kW to 40kW”
Total including VAT 370€.
Is this common, and is it justified? Our house was built in 1997,
the main breaker in the fuse box is rated 63A, and on the transition box below the fuse box it says 1x3 NH 00 500V.
The house is equipped normally, but we also have a wallbox that could theoretically draw 11.1 kW.
Good luck
Our Vaillant VWL 55/6 heat pump has been running since October 24, and the heating technician / electrician still hasn’t fully completed the registration process.
Now we received an email from the utility company EWE-Netz:
“To ensure everything runs smoothly from the start, we checked whether the capacity of your device matches your house connection and our grid. The answer is ‘No, unfortunately not.’ The individual components are not yet sufficiently sized. Your connection and our grid first require an upgrade.”
Today, we received an offer for the upgrade of our house connection:
“Construction cost contribution for power increase from 30kW to 40kW”
Total including VAT 370€.
Is this common, and is it justified? Our house was built in 1997,
the main breaker in the fuse box is rated 63A, and on the transition box below the fuse box it says 1x3 NH 00 500V.
The house is equipped normally, but we also have a wallbox that could theoretically draw 11.1 kW.
Good luck
Indeed, this cabinet is no longer up to date as required for network operator upgrades.
Not only that, but the space requirements are also crucial. From the front edge of the meter cabinet, there must be a clearance of 1.2 m (4 feet) to the rear with no fixed installations (working space). If this is met, there is a good chance that the cabinet can be upgraded or retrofitted to receive approval from the network operator. The upper connection compartment above the meter should be 300 mm (12 inches) deep according to the new standard instead of the 150 mm (6 inches) shown here, but it will still be accepted.
Otherwise, the cabinet must be replaced or newly installed in a suitable location. In that case, the old one could remain in use as a sub-distribution without a meter.
The appropriate covers for this cabinet are also available. The lower right three-section cover must be replaced by one with a single row and another with two rows. Additionally, two fittings are required for the now additional mounting points for the covers. This way, you create the necessary APZ compartment.
If cables are now also fed into the meter cabinet from below on the right side, a full-surface PVC plate or partition is sufficient for separation.
... and one more thing, the SLS 50A meter wiring must be performed exclusively with 16 mm² (0.02 in²) conductors, without twisting or twisting together.
Your electrician, authorized by the network operator, knows the rules.
Not only that, but the space requirements are also crucial. From the front edge of the meter cabinet, there must be a clearance of 1.2 m (4 feet) to the rear with no fixed installations (working space). If this is met, there is a good chance that the cabinet can be upgraded or retrofitted to receive approval from the network operator. The upper connection compartment above the meter should be 300 mm (12 inches) deep according to the new standard instead of the 150 mm (6 inches) shown here, but it will still be accepted.
Otherwise, the cabinet must be replaced or newly installed in a suitable location. In that case, the old one could remain in use as a sub-distribution without a meter.
The appropriate covers for this cabinet are also available. The lower right three-section cover must be replaced by one with a single row and another with two rows. Additionally, two fittings are required for the now additional mounting points for the covers. This way, you create the necessary APZ compartment.
If cables are now also fed into the meter cabinet from below on the right side, a full-surface PVC plate or partition is sufficient for separation.
... and one more thing, the SLS 50A meter wiring must be performed exclusively with 16 mm² (0.02 in²) conductors, without twisting or twisting together.
Your electrician, authorized by the network operator, knows the rules.