After a few snowy episodes of the season, the first heat of spring will make a comeback, to everyone’s delight… Only with the return of the heat, surprising things can happen, such as your Linky meter breaking down. A meter failure? But why in the spring?
As strange as it may seem, you could be one of the few thousand victims of outages out of 34 million subscribers to the Linky meter.
Indeed, you may not know it but your linky meters installed outside your homes are a real refuge for colonies of ants causing recurring breakdowns in thousands of French homes.
According to Capital, Enedis already claimed in May 2021 that this problem was not new and that the failure cases caused by ants mainly occurred between March and September. In addition, the technicians a priori intervene quickly as soon as such a situation occurs by replacing the meter with another, equipped with specific protection for damaged electronic cards.
Decidedly, the installation of the linky meter will not fail to cause debate, once again and to cause distrust. Indeed, since 2010 when the first tests of the meter were carried out, opposition to its implementation has only grown, as explained in an article in Capital, even provoking a strong protest movement, some going as far as attack meter installers. In addition to the increase in energy prices, and the various scams set up around the meter, this recurring spring event does not come to appease the spirits.
If the ants cause repeated short circuits, it is because they are attracted by a starch-based substance, a sugar found in plants present in the components of the meter. Also, with the heat, the insects come to find a little freshness by clumping together causing an overvoltage of the system which leads to the breakdown. In addition, the temperate environment also attracts wasps, hornets, and even snakes. All these little beasts love cool and confined spaces.
Before suffering the breakdown, some tricks can be useful to put in place to scare away the ants. As Santé Magazine explains, boric acid bought in pharmacies can be a real ally. By mixing 2 teaspoons of this product with 500g of sugar and 250ml of water, you should deter pests from taking up residence in your counter. Using talcum powder as a repellent is also a good insect-safe natural trick that should help protect the inside of the Linky meter.