Roger440

I think that is maybe to miss the point a touch. Their way of working is to cover all the bases and have solutions before they ever set out to the job. They wont need to "fix things up on site". Ive worked with a fair few German companies over the last 30 years. Whilst they are not all perfect, they have a very different outlook and approach to us. In most respects, a better one.

i wish!

I bought a tracked electric barrow, Google mule. Got to say it's been fantastic. Will shift 250kg over almost any terrain, certainly places I'd never have got a wheelbarrow. As you observed, pricey.

Ref your last paragraph, I'd suggest you don't do that. In the event if a flood, your wall will never be able to dry out. So you will have damp inside. Any suggestions or ideas that you can keep water out to the extent the structure stays dry is a fantasy. Water will get in, and definitely into the cavity. I speak from experience. Personally, I'd have had no insulation at all below dpc level in a flood prone situation.

It's crazy isn't it. How are you supposed to know ahead of time, the exact details of everything you will fit to the house. Anyway, that's the least of your worries. Wait until you get the quote for connection.

Lets say you could just bulldoze your house, how could that ever work financially? I did some very loose numbers on mine. It would cost for a similar sized dwelling at a basic level circa £300k. Probably a good deal more. The current house, whilst a thermal disaster in many respects, is, essentially sound. Value, circa £400k. If it made any kind of sense financially, id do it tommorow. But it doesnt, and as far as i can see, wont, ever. Yes, id have a better house, but not £300k better. Whilst planning is clearly, currently a block to such a thing occuring, even if removed, it would only ever be a niche thing for people for whom, money is no real object. So, dont understand your thinking here.

As more and more money hinges on epc rating, at least in the rented sector, the more corrupt it will become. Now that BCO's have at least some responsibility for what they sign off, epc's are, essentially, the weakest link in the chain. Its a market, that has no meaningful oversight. Just like building control has been for a long time. Pay money to the right person, get the result you want. And save 10's of thousands.

What Dave said up there ^^^^^ What i did. You cant win against government.

If i put my cynical hat on, id say the government will force you to upgrade, but if you cant afford it, they will "lend" you the money, payable if you sell or when you die. The latter would allow the government to aquire the house. And sell it to "chums".

Thanks, most useful The below seems to be they key point. ie, 100A may be acceptable.................... Depending on if one can take workshop loads into account, depends which side of the line you fall. With an EV charger, a heat pump, cooker, shower, plus my workshopn inc compressor, one could easily calculate accordingly for a 100A supply. But i dont currently have all those thngs. Because i dont have a supply. I shall have to try and see if i can make progress on the single phase side of things. All that said, its probably acedemic as the supply cable almost certainly isnt big enough if we take the below into account. The supply id suggest is no more than 10mm2 cable. Its all rather complicated for the layman to challenge.

Dont really want LPG. Longer term, yes could move to oil for the shower. The compressor would be the primary load for three phase, with occasional, lower load devices as well.

3 x 80a would be brilliant. Except it makes no economic sense at all. Its like filling your car up at the petrol station, and them asking for £500 for the pump you used to fill up.

As per my thoughts elsewhere, i wanted a 3 phase supply for my workshop as i have some three phase equipment, and ideally, need a bigger compressor, which would be better three phase. Probably 7 to 10kw. However, their position on this is i have to pay for all the network re-inforcement unless there were three houses off the same transformer. But theres only 2. Theres simply no way im going to pay that much for a connection from a pole in my own field. Whilst im still debating this with them, i need to look at other options. Realistically, i have 2. Install a genset (with batteries), or upgrade the existing 240v supply from the existing 60 amp one to 100amp. I "might" get away with 80amp. but i might have to apply some selector switch so i cant run the compressor at the same time as other loads. The house has an electric shower and eloectric cooker, both on 30amp breakers before you even consider the workshop. With regard to the criteria you refer to (thanks for that) its a bit grey as its the workshop that tips it over. Its a workshop at home, for my own use, so "domestic" in nature, but obviously, has electrical demands beyond what most would consider "normal". So, i guess do NOT fall within the requirements. Would an EV charger pull it in to the requirements? Where are you finding these documents? Ive not found them.

Can you confirm that you were offered 100A please? They will give me 80, but not 100. They said:" National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED) downgraded the size of domestic connections some years ago." Which i do in fact recall. If you were offered 100A, can you advise who you are dealing with. Im dealing with National Grid (ex Western Power) Its also not free for me, but not enough to get excited about. It just all appears wildly inconsistent.

Thanks for the info. Upgrading the existing supply (and installing a gen set) is my back up option. Hopefully it's just a fuse change. Though the meter says 40amp max!

I strapped a laser level receiver to the arm to help me with grading.

Welcome to my world! Logic and reason don't really come into it. Any opportunity to get the customer to pay for the infrastructure seems to be fair game. My quote was more than twice as much and it's from a pole that's 50ft from my building in my own field. Trying to reason with them, so far, has get me nowhere. I'm interested that they agreed to do a free upgrade to 100 amp though. I could live with that, as like you, mines a 60 amp supply. How did you confirm it would be free?

Loads. So many it would take forever. How does 1.8 million for three slow down ramps sound?

I'd beg to differ. Highest taxes ever, and the least to show for it. I'd say it generally isn't. It's completely out of control.

I think I'd be challenging that. Who's to decide what is "big enough"? Depends what you want to do, surely?

Paying tax is fine if it's used for the good of society. Sadly. That's too, a significant extent, no longer the case. I am therefore be fleeced or whatever other term you wish to use. As for taxing still more, fortunately I don't think any government of any colour are quite stupid enough to do that. All it will do is make poor people poorer (and colder). Those people simply don't have the capital to move to a heat pump. No matter how cheap electricity is. Fortunately for us, most people don't want to punish there fellow man. It will be a very sad day if that ever comes to pass. I find it sad the people want to do this.

As far as i can see it needs BR However, if its for months, rather than years, id just crack on, unless you have particuarly nosey neighbours? Even if it could to the point of enforcement, 6 months would be long since past. But why not just get a mobile home, thus avoiding such issues?

Option 4 Keep oil boiler and fit UFH. Will be your cheapest option, and with UFH will be lovely. If you didnt already have a boiler, then maybe a different option. But you do. If you decide to throw it away, please let me know and ill come and take it away! (distance dependant!)

Ive not got another quote yet. I made it clear i wasnt paying that much, and asked for the evidence that their position was based on, given their publically stated position is that i dont need to pay for "network re-inforcement. So far, not forthcoming, but they did attend site in my abscence. I mildly optimistic of some common sense being applied. For now, im just waiting. i think ive got a loose plan now for generator set and batteries if the cost doesnt come back to planet earth. Somethings gone very wrong when it makes much more economic sense to install a generator set, than connect to the grid 50ft away! Its also a good thing that, several decades ago, when electricity was rolled out to the masses, that the people at the time didnt try to charge everyone for the installation costs, but did it because it was the right thing to do to connect everyone. Otherwise, everyone outside a city would stll have no electricity. Something has gone very wrong along the way. though i think we can all work out what that is/was.

Energy suppliers might be, but the DNO isnt!!!