What hidden risks does your old house face when it comes to electricity?
Taipei City and New Taipei City have a large number of old apartments, often more than 30 years old. Most of the pipelines in these houses were installed when they were built. Over the decades, the insulation layer of the wires may have become brittle and the copper cores have oxidized. The design of the socket circuits has also fallen far short of the electricity needs of modern households.
According to statistics from the decoration industry in 2026, about 73% of residences that are more than 15 years old have aging wires to varying degrees, and electrical fires caused by aging wires account for the first place in residential decoration hidden dangers, accounting for 41.6%. This is not alarmist - if your home socket becomes hot when plugged in, the switch panel is yellowed and discolored, or the lights flicker for no reason at night, these are typical warning signs of aging wires.
Self-test: Is your electrical box safe?
You can do a few simple checks first:
- Touch the outer shell of the distribution box with your hands: If it feels warm or even hot to the touch, it means that the internal circuit breaker or circuit contacts may be abnormally hot, which is a very dangerous signal.
- Observe the socket and switch panel: If the plug is loose when inserted into the socket, sparks are emitted, or there is burnt yellow color around the panel, it indicates poor internal contact and needs to be replaced.
- Count the high-power appliances in your home: electric water heaters, microwave ovens, ovens, electric heaters, hair dryers - these appliances that often exceed 1000W, if they are turned on on the same circuit at the same time, the old lines simply cannot bear it.
- Use a "phase detector" to test the socket: You can buy it at a hardware store for a few dozen yuan. Inserting it into the socket can show whether the live wire and water wire are connected reversely. Although the appliance can still be used if it is connected reversely, it will affect the life of precision home appliances and raise safety concerns.
If you hit more than two of the above points, it is recommended to find a professional plumber to do a complete electrical test.
Where can we start with energy-saving transformation?
First priority: Update electrical panels and wiring throughout the house. This is the fundamental solution for using electricity in old houses. The mainstream approach in 2026 is to fully adopt LSFH low-smoke non-toxic cables or XLPE cross-linked PE cables that comply with CNS standards. The temperature resistance level is increased from 60°C of traditional PVC single-core wires to 90°C. The long-term carrying capacity is increased by about 35%, and almost no toxic gases are released when burned.
Second priority: Replace first-class energy-efficient appliances. Old air conditioners, refrigerators, and electric water heaters are electricity-hungry monsters. Taking air conditioners as an example, an old model that is more than 10 years old may consume more than twice the power of a current first-class energy-efficient inverter model. Nowadays, you can apply for government subsidies when replacing old ones with new ones. The savings in electricity bills can usually recoup the cost of replacement in two or three years.
Third priority: Switch to LED light fixtures. This is the cheapest way to save power. By replacing all fluorescent lamps and light bulbs in the whole house with LEDs, lighting electricity consumption can be reduced by more than half immediately.
Priority 4: Re-planning the circuit. A common problem in old houses is that "one circuit runs through the whole house". The kitchen, bathroom, and bedrooms all share the same line. The ideal approach is to connect high-power electrical appliances (air conditioners, electric water heaters, special kitchen sockets) to separate dedicated circuits to avoid overload tripping when used at the same time.
How much does the line replacement project cost?
Based on the market situation in Taipei and New Taipei, the cost of redrawing the whole house's wires varies greatly, mainly depending on the square footage of the house and the difficulty of construction:
- Take a 25-square-meter house with 3 bedrooms and 2 living rooms as an example. The starting price for rewiring the whole house with work and materials is about NT$40,000, but this is the basic price and does not include wall repairs and switchboard upgrades.
- If it includes the replacement of switchboards, additional circuits, and wall repairs, it will cost approximately NT$20,000 to NT$40,000 per square meter.
- If you also need to increase the power supply from Taipower (increase the household line), this alone will cost about 40,000 yuan.
Generally speaking, for an old apartment of 25 to 30 square meters, the budget for comprehensive renovation of water and electricity is 80,000 to 150,000 yuan, which is a relatively reasonable range. It is recommended to find 2 to 3 manufacturers for on-site valuation, compare the quotation details (material grade, construction scope, warranty conditions) before making a decision.
Energy-saving resources that New Taipei citizens can apply for
The New Taipei City Government has launched the "Energy-Saving E-Good House" program to provide free energy diagnosis services. As long as the public brings two installments of their electricity bills, professional consultants can analyze their electricity usage and provide energy-saving improvement suggestions. In addition, New Taipei City also holds a Smart Energy Saving Media Conference every year, gathering energy-saving equipment, energy management systems, LED lighting and other industries, and the public can consult on-site. Taipei citizens can also pay attention to the "Residential and Commercial Energy Saving Subsidy" program launched by Taipower, and they can apply for subsidies when replacing old home appliances.
New knowledge on air-conditioning power consumption and Taiwan climate maintenance regulations in recent years (2025-2026 current situation)
With the high temperatures in summer breaking historical records and the adjustment of electricity price structure in recent years, the latest statistics from the Energy Administration of the Ministry of Economic Affairs show that air-conditioning equipment accounts for more than 47% of residential electricity consumption in summer. Many people mistakenly believe that if the air conditioner is not cold, they only need to "replenish the refrigerant." However, in fact, refrigerant is not naturally consumed during normal operation in a closed circuit. If the refrigerant is insufficient, it means that there are micro leaks in the copper pipes or joints. Simply replenishing the air conditioner will only treat the symptoms but not the root cause. Refrigerant leakage will aggravate the high temperature overload of the compressor and shorten its service life.
According to Taiwan's standard operating specifications for air-conditioning projects, it is recommended that professional technicians with a refrigeration and air-conditioning decoration technician license perform "full machine high-pressure water washing and evaporator deep sterilization" every 1 to 2 years for detached air-conditioning indoor units. Especially in the humid summer in the Shuangbei Basin, the air drum and water collection tray are easy to breed black mold and jelly-like biofilm. This is also the main reason for the sour smell in the air-conditioning outlet and the backflow of the drainage pipe. Regular maintenance can maintain CSPF (Air Conditioning Seasonal Performance Factor) level one energy efficiency level, which can save an average household 15% to 20% of air conditioning electricity bills every year.
Autonomous simple maintenance vs professional maintenance safety red line
- Homeowners can do this themselves: Regularly remove and clean the nylon filter every 2 to 3 weeks (rinse with clean water and dry in a cool place, do not expose it to the sun to avoid deformation and embrittlement); clean the air outlet blades of the indoor unit with a dry cloth; check whether there is any accumulation of debris within 50 cm around the outdoor unit that hinders heat dissipation.
- Professional technicians must be entrusted according to regulations: Refrigerant pressure testing and leakage repair welding, high-pressure cleaning of indoor unit air drums and aluminum fins with liquid chemicals, reset of the drainage slope of hidden cold water pipes in the ceiling, and 220V dedicated power circuit configuration and leakage circuit breaker replacement.
