Beijing's Coming Power Upgrade: What You Should Know
Beijing Electric Power recently announced a temporary hiatus on electricity purchases. This is due to a scheduled system upgrade, set to take place from 6pm on Dec 15 to 8am on Dec 23. During this period, customers won't be able to buy electricity, leading to questions about the impact on daily power use. Can consumers avoid a potential blackout by buying up electricity before the upgrade, or will they be left in the dark? We dialed up Beijing Electric Power Grid (北京电力 Běijīng Diànlì ) to shed some light on the situation.
So first of all, what is this upgrade about? According to Beijing Electric Power Grid, it's simply aimed at improving operations in the electrical marketing department. Once it's all done and dusted on Dec 23, that's all in terms of upgrades for the time being.
There's no need for alarm if you've got enough electricity to ride out the weeklong maintenance period. For those whose supply is running a bit low, they reassured us that there's ample time to purchase electricity before Dec 15. So, there's no need to rush into a frenzy of panic-buying.
But what about the risk of a blackout for those running on an electricity shoestring? Can they expect to be plunged into darkness? Not at all, they explained. Even if you exhaust your supply during the upgrade, you won't experience a power cut. However, they did advise those running low to buy electricity in advance. That's because, as of 8am sharp on Dec 23, any unpaid electricity bills could trigger a power outage. To sidestep a post-upgrade rush of electricity buyers, it's best to make your purchase ahead of time. This advice is particularly pertinent for residents with electric heating, as these systems are known to be energy-intensive.
There's another thing to bear in mind during the upgrade: account cancelations will be put on hold. If you're planning a move and hoping to close your account in this period, you'll have to wait. It's best to switch off the power at your old place to prevent any unnecessary charges, the staff suggested.
Lastly, a change following the system upgrade was shared by the staff. The customer's electricity account numbers will undergo an expansion from the existing 10 digits to a new 13 digit system. The revamped numbers will commence with 110, followed by the original household number. Despite this alteration, rest assured that all other pertinent details regarding your power supply will remain constant.
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