Calculate total load, size wiring, breakers, generator, and estimate monthly electricity cost. Full appliance library with African standards (NEMSA, KEBS, SANS).
Proper electrical load calculation prevents fires, protects appliances, and ensures your wiring and breakers are correctly sized. In many African countries, electrical installations must comply with local wiring regulations — NEMSA in Nigeria, KEBS standards in Kenya, or SANS 10142 in South Africa. This calculator helps you meet those requirements.
The total connected load is the sum of all appliance wattages. But not everything runs at once — your iron, kettle, and AC don't typically operate simultaneously. The demand load applies a diversity factor (usually 0.6-0.8 for residential) to give a realistic operating load. This calculator uses this demand load for sizing cables, breakers, and generators.
With unreliable grid power across many African cities, generator sizing is as important as grid sizing. A generator should be rated at least 25% above your demand load to handle motor startup surges (fridges, ACs, pumps). This calculator recommends the minimum generator size in kVA based on your load, accounting for a 0.8 power factor.
Understanding your electricity consumption helps you budget and identify energy-saving opportunities. This calculator estimates monthly kWh consumption based on each appliance's wattage and daily usage hours, then applies your country's average tariff rate. In Nigeria, Band A tariff is approximately 68 NGN/kWh. Kenya Power charges about 25 KES/kWh. Eskom in South Africa charges roughly 3.50 ZAR/kWh for residential customers.
Electrical safety is critical in African construction. Common hazards include undersized cables (causing overheating), missing earth connections, lack of circuit breakers, and water exposure. Always hire a licensed electrician and insist on proper testing before energising any installation. Use RCDs (Residual Current Devices) on all socket circuits to protect against electric shock.
For a typical single-phase home with 5-8 kW demand load, a 16mm² copper cable from meter to DB is standard. Individual circuits use 2.5mm² for sockets and 1.5mm² for lighting. This calculator sizes the main cable based on your actual load.
Single phase (230V) handles up to about 13 kW demand load. If your load exceeds this — common in homes with multiple ACs, water heaters, or workshops — you need three-phase supply. In Nigeria, this requires a DisCo application.
Diversity factor accounts for the fact that not all appliances run simultaneously. A 0.7 (70%) factor means you size your supply for 70% of the total connected load. 0.6 is conservative (better for generator sizing), 0.8 is used for offices where more equipment runs continuously.
Take your demand load in kW, divide by 0.8 (power factor), and add 25% for motor starting surges. For example, 5 kW demand ÷ 0.8 = 6.25 kVA × 1.25 = ~8 kVA generator. This calculator does this automatically.
Your breaker trips when current exceeds its rating. This means either your total load is too high for the breaker, or you have a short circuit or earth fault. Calculate your actual load with this tool — if it exceeds the breaker rating, you need a larger breaker and cable, or you need to redistribute loads across circuits.
It depends on your DisCo band and consumption. Band A customers pay approximately ₦68/kWh. A typical 3-bedroom home uses 200-500 kWh per month (₦13,600-34,000). Homes with multiple ACs can exceed 1,000 kWh (₦68,000+). This calculator estimates your specific monthly cost based on your appliances.