Electricity connection - your experiences

[Reiver]

On 19/07/2020 at 11:38, Thedreamer said:

 

For our site we had a electricity pole on our field but it couldn't support another household so had to go back to the transformer. 

 

I don't suppose anyone knows what the power rating of the typical transformers they stick up a pole is please? One site I'm looking at has such a transformer just about 100m away from the build site on the edge of the land which is supplying just one other property: if it were possible to connect into the LV side of that it will obviously save a pile of money over a short 11KV link + another transformer.

[gc100]

1 hour ago, tregoningmatt said:

I've now met with a low voltage planner and HV planner who came out to site, spoken to the HV planner yesterday and he said there is no room for negotiation, the price is the price, also that the volt drop on the 300m run to our place ruled out putting in 3 phase and doubling the voltage...there is 11000 volts going into the existing pole at the bottom of our track so basically we are being asked to pay £35K to take the HV supply 150m further up our track. Unfortunately the other transformer in the hamlet is the same distance away, so no help there. Competition in Connections is a farce if you're a domestic customer who just wants 1 connection. Will keep trying...

Sorry not read the whole of this thread, but I'm surprised about the volt drop statement for 3 phase over 300m. My situation was:

• My barn conversion is about 750 meters across 2 fields and a wood to nearest transformer (using by another farm).
• Initial quote was £52,000 from the DNO. 
• There preferred solution was to bring HV line across fields ending with a transformer at my property.
• I got the phone number of the chap organising the solution in the area (not the initial quote person) and had lots of conversations with him.
• In the end I got the quote down to about £8K
• However I had to dig the trench across the fields etc and lay my own cable (which was around £16K just for cable).

However the point about voltage drop doesn't add up. My solution in the end was to run a 2 phase (which in theory would have more voltage drop for the same thickness cable). However I ran an incredibly thick cable and doubled up the phases with my meter box (and therefore the DNO responsibility) just by the transformer (which is a large distance from my actual house). A found a commercial electrical company who ran the numbers for the voltage drop (ie a computer program). I'm all connected now with no issues and not much of a voltage drop at all.

[gc100]

4 minutes ago, Reiver said:

 

I don't suppose anyone knows what the power rating of the typical transformers they stick up a pole is please? One site I'm looking at has such a transformer just about 100m away from the build site on the edge of the land which is supplying just one other property: if it were possible to connect into the LV side of that it will obviously save a pile of money over a short 11KV link + another transformer.

 

Depends. The one I wanted connecting to was only 25KvA and they had to upgrade it to 100Kva for me to connect to which I had to pay for (well a portion)

Edited July 28, 2020 by gc100

[Kerr10]

I've had a quote for £50k, 2 connections, nearest pole 900m away along a country C road.

 

And one for £30k, 2 connections nearest pole 500m away going over private farm land (assuming the land owner is OK with it + solicitors fees etc).

 

No experience on the subject but reading the thread those numbers seem about right.

 

Apart from negotiating the quote down as the poster above did, not sure there are any other alternatives? Apart from going off grid!

[Evs]

 

I’ve just been quoted £3100 for this connection. 1m run under the pavement outside my ground and 10m run insid my ground. They’re pushing to install a 3 phase connection when I don’t want 3 phase and I can’t find anything online that says I have to have a 3 phase supply either. Its to future proof against EV charging but I’m a petrol head and no EV will ever be parked on my driveway. 
I’ll be phoning them first thing in the morning as I think thats absolutely ridiculous to try and charge me £3100 for that. I’ll supply the ducting and dig the trench on my property. I also want an internal meter box and they’ve quoted for external. 

[dpmiller]

what provider? Some *really* don't like internal meters.

[Evs]

14 minutes ago, dpmiller said:

what provider? Some *really* don't like internal meters.

 Western power. 

[Pete]

1 hour ago, dpmiller said:

what provider? Some *really* don't like internal meters.

I had this issue! Office staff deemed it ok so we proceeded with the ducting etc. When insp came he was not happy about the ducting, another story, but even less with the internal meter. When I told him it was a Passive house and had been sanctioned with his planning people he told me he needed to make some calls. When he came back he begrudgingly told me all was good but he was not happy, what I wanted to say to him was suck it up buttercup but thought better of it!

[jack]

We have an internal meter (SSE installed) but frankly I'd have preferred it outside in a kiosk. We periodically get meter readers dropping by, and we need to bring them through the house and into the plant room to read the meter. I'd much rather be pointing them to an external box.

[Bonner]

+1 for the kiosk, I am installing one at the roadside boundary. Will be used for temporary building supply then connected to the consumer unit in the house by my electrician.

[Antoni]

On 28/07/2020 at 11:02, gc100 said:

Sorry not read the whole of this thread, but I'm surprised about the volt drop statement for 3 phase over 300m. My situation was:

• My barn conversion is about 750 meters across 2 fields and a wood to nearest transformer (using by another farm).
• Initial quote was £52,000 from the DNO. 
• There preferred solution was to bring HV line across fields ending with a transformer at my property.
• I got the phone number of the chap organising the solution in the area (not the initial quote person) and had lots of conversations with him.
• In the end I got the quote down to about £8K
• However I had to dig the trench across the fields etc and lay my own cable (which was around £16K just for cable).

However the point about voltage drop doesn't add up. My solution in the end was to run a 2 phase (which in theory would have more voltage drop for the same thickness cable). However I ran an incredibly thick cable and doubled up the phases with my meter box (and therefore the DNO responsibility) just by the transformer (which is a large distance from my actual house). A found a commercial electrical company who ran the numbers for the voltage drop (ie a computer program). I'm all connected now with no issues and not much of a voltage drop at all.

Very interesting story.

 

I have a similar issue on a plot of land I have recently purchased. 

 

I am after a 100amp SP supply on my land and the closest available mains for me to connect to is an overhead HV line about 120m along a country road.
 

UKPN have quoted £27k to connect to this which includes a road closer on the lane and running the cable through just over 100m of road. This is way out of what we had budgeted and now considering selling the land! Surely it would be cheaper for them to install another pole closer to our plot and not have to dig up so much of the road?? We do also have permission of going through a neighbours field to another pole 400m away which is right on the edge of their field. We thought we could install the cable running through the field to save costs. Then we would only need UKPN to connect the other end and install the meter on our property. Would this likely be cheaper? 
 

Any help or ideas with this would be much appreciated as we are losing hope. Our budget for electric was £10k and we thought it would be more than enough!