New electric connections in new build

[Afzal]

Good Morning all 

I have been quoted £25,000 for a new electrical connection on a new build single story bungalow approximately 120 sqm. 
there is a polo 3 meter away for where the new build is going to be but I have been told it’s running at full capacity therefore have to go to the next nearest polo 150meter away. What’s my alternative. Is this cost correct. Please help. Thanks 

[Thedreamer]

Hi @Afzal there are quite a few threads on the forum regarding connection costs.

 

That does seem quite a lot, perhaps you are having to paid for transformer upgrade/road crossings.

 

We had similar issue, close pole but unable to support another property. Our costs were significantly less than that and was about 200 meters.

 

It would be worth looking at each part of your quote to see if there is any work you can organise yourself. 

 

 

 

 

[Afzal]

Thank you for you response 

 

Would the electrical companies be ok with arranging certain work my self?

[Thedreamer]

12 minutes ago, Afzal said:

Thank you for you response 

 

Would the electrical companies be ok with arranging certain work my self?

 

Yes, I believe there are contestable and non contestable elements of an electricity quote.

 

For our connection I was able to lay ducting myself with a draw cord, rather than have electricity blind the trench with sand by the electricity supplier.

 

Depending on whether the quote is rural or urban any scope for reviewing the route? We had lots of correspondence and the quote seem to fluctuate up and down.

 

Maybe just ask the quoter what can you do to lower the price?

 

Is the other pole on your land, a few on here have used wayleaves or lack of it to obtain leverage on a new connection?

 

 

 

[ProDave]

What capacity (kW) supply did you ask for?

What capacity supply do you NEED?

Have they offered you any supply from that pole?

 

We accepted a 12kW supply as that was available without any network upgrades ans was enough for our needs. 

 

I would investigate that avenue first.

[Afzal]

It’s semi rural with 3 house 3 meter from my new build. 
no the pole is not on my land 

[Afzal]

Dare I say it I can’t remember the kw however northern power grid spoke to me there the closest pole is 3 meter away from me is at the maximum. Hence next pole is 150m away with a eye watering cost of above £25,000. 
It’s only a 120sqm single story three bed with tufted roof. 

[TonyT]

Watch out they may be reinforcing their own network at your cost!

 

ask what the max available supply off the closest pole transformer.

[ProDave]

Can you post a picture of your nearest pole, the next one along, and the wire between them?

[Afzal]

Certainly. I’m on site in a few hours I will take the pictures. Thanks 

[Afzal]

Certainly. I’m on site in a few hours I will take the pictures. Thanks 

[Faz]

What power did you request on the application?  Assuming that you are not using electric heating you should get away with 6 kVA or so allowing for diversity (that would be a circa 10 kVA supply pre-diversity.

[TonyT]

Electric car?

electric shower?

elective Oven?

ashp?

 

all add up

[Afzal]

[Afzal]

That’s the closest pole to me approximately 2-3 meters away

[Afzal]

[Afzal]

Is this all the information that I provided 

[Ralph]

Argue with them, "outrageous costs"  threaten to go to ombudsma, question every cost etc.etc. from memory we got ours down from something like £16k to about £4k although it was a nightmare.

 

Deserved or not electricity companies have a reputation for getting new builds to pay for upgrades to infrastructure.

[ProDave]

You have rung alarm bells there by telling them you are going to have both a GSHP and an ASHP each at 10KVA so they will have been working on providing a 21kVA supply.  no wonder they want to upgrade their network.

[Faz]

7 minutes ago, ProDave said:

You have rung alarm bells there by telling them you are going to have both a GSHP and an ASHP each at 10KVA so they will have been working on providing a 21kVA supply.  no wonder they want to upgrade their network.

This!

 

You surely can't be having both? And you also have to allow for diversity.  To give you an idea we are taking 23kVA for 3 large 4b detached houses (with gas CH).

[TonyT]

1000 what for a shower?

watts?  That’s a rubbish shower!

1000amps?  A bit excessive?

form doesn’t make sense as you have 2 sources of heat pumps too unless you are doing one for DHW and heating separately?

[Afzal]

Appreciate everyone’s reply 

 

have I got the watts completely wrong? 
 

sorry I’m totally new to building a new build therefore as much advice provided would certainly help. 

[Afzal]

1 hour ago, Ralph said:

Argue with them, "outrageous costs"  threaten to go to ombudsma, question every cost etc.etc. from memory we got ours down from something like £16k to about £4k although it was a nightmare.

 

Deserved or not electricity companies have a reputation for getting new builds to pay for upgrades to infrastructure.

Was it northern power grid who give you the quotation?

 

Did it take long to negotiate with them? And how should I fight my corner?

thanks 

[recoveringbuilder]

1 minute ago, Afzal said:

Was it northern power grid who give you the quotation?

 

Did it take long to negotiate with them? And how should I fight my corner?

thanks 

I also had a quote for £25k , mine was Scottish power, like you I was shocked when it came in and they said the same that there was no capacity in the line. I ended up lucky because the pole was on our ground without a wayleave so as soon as I mentioned them having to remove it things changed. Unfortunately you don’t have this leverage but I would advise you to go through their website with a fine tooth comb. During the negotiations I was having with them I discovered a post on their website which said something along the lines of; we are under obligation to upgrade our network and provide new connections to new homes at a reasonable cost to the customer. You have to initially make a complaint which they will try to dismiss by saying that they have offered you a connection to which you then respond with anything you can find. You will have to escalate the complaint and keep doing so until you get to speak to the organ grinder. By this time they will have realised you’re not going to go away and will start looking at options. This all took us about 5 months and as I say we were lucky about the pole but I got to the organ grinder before I mentioned it so they were talking it seriously by that time. When we eventually got the connection the contracts manager couldn’t have been more helpful and when we explained everything that had happened he said that this is what they do and if you fight it they will back down eventually. Good luck!

[Afzal]

30 minutes ago, recoveringbuilder said:

I also had a quote for £25k , mine was Scottish power, like you I was shocked when it came in and they said the same that there was no capacity in the line. I ended up lucky because the pole was on our ground without a wayleave so as soon as I mentioned them having to remove it things changed. Unfortunately you don’t have this leverage but I would advise you to go through their website with a fine tooth comb. During the negotiations I was having with them I discovered a post on their website which said something along the lines of; we are under obligation to upgrade our network and provide new connections to new homes at a reasonable cost to the customer. You have to initially make a complaint which they will try to dismiss by saying that they have offered you a connection to which you then respond with anything you can find. You will have to escalate the complaint and keep doing so until you get to speak to the organ grinder. By this time they will have realised you’re not going to go away and will start looking at options. This all took us about 5 months and as I say we were lucky about the pole but I got to the organ grinder before I mentioned it so they were talking it seriously by that time. When we eventually got the connection the contracts manager couldn’t have been more helpful and when we explained everything that had happened he said that this is what they do and if you fight it they will back down eventually. Good luck!

thank you