Utility connection - Scottish Borders

[Omi]

Hi everyone,

 

I'm going through the quoting process with SP Energy Networks and have been quoted £20k for electricity connection. About £15k of that is "Contestable" and the remainder is to reinforce capacity. This despite there being an existing connection next door...

 

We also need to get water (Scottish Water) in and expecting a similar shock.

 

Any advice on how to approach this? Would you recommend using a multi-utility connection provider?

 

Thanks!

 

[newhome]

1 hour ago, Omi said:

I'm going through the quoting process with SP Energy Networks and have been quoted £20k for electricity connection. About £15k of that is "Contestable" and the remainder is to reinforce capacity. This despite there being an existing connection next door...

Hellfire! Albeit that it’s a long time ago but our connection cost £1261 in 2009 with SP Energy. That was for 3 phase with an existing connection next door. 
 

[ProDave]

Can you post the actual quote and any diagrams they sent (suitably redacted) so we can understand what they think needs doing?

 

Did you ask for a specific power of supply? or just see what they offered?

[Omi]

1 hour ago, ProDave said:

Can you post the actual quote and any diagrams they sent (suitably redacted) so we can understand what they think needs doing?

 

Here are the bits from the quote:

 

This doesn't include any diagrams but I received the following asset plan previously:

 

Our site is to the North East:

 

 

 

 

Thanks!

 

[ProDave]

1 hour ago, Omi said:

 

This doesn't include any diagrams but I received the following asset plan previously:

 

Our site is to the North East:

 

 

Thanks!

 

Can you mark your plot on the plan.

 

Replacement of the house already there or a new plot?

[jack]

9 hours ago, ProDave said:

Can you mark your plot on the plan.

 

Looking at the dogleg in the property line, it looks like it's the currently empty area to the right of the row of houses.

[ProDave]

11 minutes ago, jack said:

 

Looking at the dogleg in the property line, it looks like it's the currently empty area to the right of the row of houses.

If that is the case, that row of 5 houses is all fed from one 35mm cable,  That is not something they would do now and no wonder they don't want to just join another house onto the end of an already potentially overloaded run.  Hence a new cable needed over a longer route,

[TonyT]

Nothing wrong with the 35mm feeding that many houses, DNO Diversity probably allows 2-5kVA per house anyway.

possible exception of London due to the density.

[jack]

8 minutes ago, ProDave said:

If that is the case, that row of 5 houses is all fed from one 35mm cable,  

 

Worse, it looks like the 35mm drops to 25mm after the first house.

[scottishjohn]

16 hours ago, Omi said:

We also need to get water (Scottish Water) in and expecting a similar shock.

If its going to that much -- which i doubt --then a well  would be cheaper  probably

[Omi]

Just found the drawing of the the proposed works:
 

 

Is the consensus here that we just need to bite the bullet and go for it? Is it worthwhile getting in touch with multi-utility installation companies so that we avoid having to dig up the road twice? The asset drawing from SW shows a similar starting point as the electricity:

 

 

 

Bit puzzled that it doesn't show any connections to the neighbouring houses even though they do have mains water (according to a neighbour).

 

 

 

[ProDave]

The contestable work can be done by any contractor with a minor streetworks permit.

 

It would be worth talking to an independant contractor to see if they can make both road crossings in one dig, and lay a water pipe and a red 150mm duct all the way under the road crossing and along under the verge to your plot, with a drawstring in it..   If you get a good price for that, then re negotiate with SP energy on the basis of them just pulling a cable through a duct and connecting it.  SP networks may prefer the cable to be buried outwith a duct, you would need their agreement and in that case they would have to supply the cable before your contractor started. You would also need to ensure the contractor satisfied Scottish Waters needs.

 

I bet it is a similar story with water, the present arrangement is inadequate to join another house onto.

[jack]

26 minutes ago, ProDave said:

SP networks may prefer the cable to be buried outwith a duct

 

Nope: 

[ProDave]

25 minutes ago, jack said:

 

Nope: 

They usually put the section under the road in a duct but SSE up here normally bury other sections direct.  You would need to check their requirements.

[jack]

4 minutes ago, ProDave said:

They usually put the section under the road in a duct but SSE up here normally bury other sections direct.  You would need to check their requirements.

 

Ah right, sorry. I thought you were talking about just the road crossing.

[ProDave]

7 minutes ago, jack said:

 

Ah right, sorry. I thought you were talking about just the road crossing.

I think the logic is the road crossing is always ducted so a cable can be replaced without digging up the road, but a cable in the verge is normally buried bare so it is easier to connect into in the future.

[Omi]

Quick update after speaking to the chap at SP Energy Networks:

• As suspected, the local supply (transformer) is at capacity and needs to be upgraded to support the demand for the new build. He mentioned that the current capacity is 50 kVA which is shared by around 7/8 properties -- which sounds like it must already be operating close to the max capacity. Unfortunately, that means that we get the pleasure of helping them upgrade the local transformer to 100 kVA of which we will get 18 kVA.
• They are happy for us to do our own roadworks. This is great news as we expect that we would have need to dig up the same stretch of road to put in the water pipes.
• Arranging our own roadworks dropped the SPEN bill by half to £10k. This now consists of:
  • £1250 for design ans assessment fee. It's ridiculously high but they recuperate costs for quoting/design works that do not progress to an order across those that do.
  • £1000 for service cable connection.
  • £650 for wayleave
  • £5000 for laying 115 m of 185 mm (4 core) WF mains cable
  • £2000 for transformer upgrade (18% of overall cost - 18 kVA of 100 kVA)
• The 185 mm mains cable will run through the property and just a few meters from the meter so that the final stretch of the connection will be made using 35 mm LV service cable. I guess we could argue for the 185 mains to end at the property boundary to save some more money but it seems like a good opportunity to just have it there for when we decide to go for an EV charging point at some point in the future.

So, still massively over budget but hopefully we'll be able to come in a few £ks under the £20k originally quoted. Here's the new drawing for those interested:

 

 

Now just waiting on the details from Scottish Water and hopefully things will be a lot simpler there (i.e., we can connect to the 90 mm distribution main which is pretty much at point #1 above).

 

Edited March 18, 2021 by Omi