Farmers need ‘changeover’ power switch to tackle any future outages

Farmers should invest in a generator or at the very least in a ‘changeover’ power switch to combat future electricity outages, said one north Kerry farmer.

ICMSA member Maurice Walsh’s 65-cow herd missed three milkings when his farm went without electricity for a day and a half last week. He now intends to ask an electrician to install a changeover switch to allow him to turn off the ESB supply while he switches over his milking machines to a generator supply, without the risk of a power surge should the ESB suddenly resume service.

“Every farmer should be told to fit the changeover switch,” said Mr Walsh. “I may even have to invest in a generator. We had this kind of flooding a few years ago, and we’ll see it again in future years.”