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Load management in Sacramento

Keep a large new load on a service that is close — the charger or the heat pump backs off when the house is busy.

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Licensed C-10 · CSLB #1115460

Emergency electrical
On this page 3 sections
  1. What this is
  2. When it is a different job
  3. Utility and permits

Load management: keep the charger on a service that is close — not a 200-amp upgrade

Load management is how a charger, a heat pump, or another large load shares a service that cannot take every load at once. The charger backs off when the house is busy. It is not a 200-amp upgrade. It is the control that makes the existing service carry the new equipment without tripping.

  • When it fits

    A Level 2 charger on a 100-amp or 125-amp service, or a charger and a heat pump planned together, when the load calculation is close but not over.

  • When it does not

    If the house genuinely needs more capacity, that increase is a 200-amp service upgrade after the need is established. Still deciding whether you need more capacity at all is the panel upgrade page — the answer can be no.

  • The charger circuit itself

    Load management is the sharing. Hanging the unit and running the circuit is EV charger installation.

When load management isn’t the right job

Sharing a close service is this job. If the charger is not bought and the path is not built, start at EV-ready, not here.

You still need the whether-decision

Panel upgrade — does the home need more capacity? The answer can be no, and load management is one way that answer stays no.

The calculation already said the service is short

That is a 200-amp service upgrade. Load management will not invent headroom the service does not have.

The house is not ready and the unit is not chosen

That is EV-ready electrical — capacity, route, and the listed finish — not a control on a circuit that is not there yet.

Load management: utility, permits, and this job

This work often involves the utility or a permit. The address decides which office and which provider — not a generic Sacramento paragraph copied onto every service.

  • SMUD, PG&E, or Roseville Electric may need a disconnect or a meter appointment if the service equipment is involved.

  • We pull the permit for the city or county that actually covers the address.

  • A dimmer, a switch, or a lighting control does not get this chapter — the utility is not in that job.

Load management questions

Is this a cheaper 200-amp upgrade?

No. It is not a 200-amp upgrade. A 200-amp service upgrade raises the amperage after the need is established. This job is the control that keeps a charger on a service that is close.

Will the car still charge overnight?

Usually yes — overnight is when the house is quiet. The charger backs off when the range, the dryer, and the HVAC stack, then comes back.

Do I still get a dedicated charger circuit?

Yes. Load management is how that circuit shares the service. The circuit and the mount are EV charger installation.

How do I know I need this instead of 200 amps?

That is the panel upgrade measurement. We do not sell load management on a service that is already short, and we do not sell 200 amps on a service that only needed sharing.

What is the purpose of load management?

On a house, load management exists to keep the whole-home power draw under the service rating when you add a large new load so the panel does not overload and you don't have to upsize the service.

Do I need load balancing on my EV charger?

You need it when the main panel's untilization is already tight and you still want the charger

Still not sure it is the right job? Call (279) 972-9272 — available 24 hours.Want the detail? Level 2 EV charger

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Serving 19 communities across the Sacramento area

Litel Electric serves homeowners throughout all 19 communities in our service area — from Davis and Woodland to Roseville, Folsom, and Elk Grove.

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Tell us what is happening, or what you are planning. We read the details, tell you what else we need to know, and explain the next step before anything is scheduled.

  1. 01

    You send the problem or the plan, with the address if you have it.

  2. 02

    We reply with what it involves and what has to be seen in person.

  3. 03

    Nothing is scheduled, and nothing is priced, until the equipment has been looked at.

License
CSLB #1115460 · C-10 electrical