The utility will often propose to upgrade their network to solve this issue, which can be very expensive for the customer. However, lower cost non-utility solutions are often available and these should therefore be investigated in detail.

The cause of this can be complex, but it is often a factor of the low voltage network between the utility’s transformer and the customer not being strong enough to supply the customer/s particular load pattern. One way to address this problem is by upgrading the low voltage cables or in some cases moving the transformer closer to the load, or installing another transformer to shorten the length of low voltage cabling. Such upgrades can be costly and utilities often require a significant financial contribution from the customer/s. There are however mitigation measures that the customer can sometimes implement to reduce the problems they are experiencing.