Who can dig the trench for my new electrical supply?

[Bancroft]

SSEN, our electrical supplier, came up with an overhead solution for our new 3-phase supply.

 

Today, the sub-contractor they have assigned to do the actual work visited the site and has strongly recommended that we change this to an underground solution.

 

He also recommended we source someone ourselves to do the 'contestable work' as it's likely to be cheaper than an SSEN appointed company.

 

SSEN defines 'contestable work' as work that is '...necessary for the provision of a connection which can also be undertaken by an Independent Connections Provider (ICP)...'

 

(In our case, basically dig a trench from next to the existing pole to where we want the temporary supply).

 

They then go on to define an ICP as '...an accredited Independent Connections Provider registered with Lloyds Register, including its agents.'

 

Does this mean we need to use a specific company (registered with Lloyds Register) to dig a simple trench? 

 

Seems a bit overkill as SSEN will still be coming in behind to thread the cable through the duct and do all the technical stuff.  And we could demonstrate we have dug it to the right depth/put tape on etc though photographs etc).

[JohnMo]

You can dig it yourself or use any third party.

Trench has to comply with the rules and back filled to comply with the rules. 

Our ground contractor did ours, SSEN ran cable, did the earth spike etc. ran cable to meter location.  Isolated supply and then disappeared, next day another person SSEN came along with our electrician they did the meter and temporary consumer unit. We backfilled trench after.

 

To do it yourself, get SSEN to requote for what you are actually doing or not doing, otherwise it will end up a mess.

 

Our temporary supply was actually positioned in the final location, in a waterproof box. When house was water tight the water proof box was cut away and everything screwed in to final position. Temporary consumer unit was replaced with final one by electrician.

 

Should be the same for 3 phase, I assume? Could ask why 3 phase, but I won't

[Russell griffiths]

It depends where this trench is. 
if it’s across a farmers field or through your land then as John said you can do it. 
if it runs within 1m of the highway you will need a contractor with a streetworks permit, and use the appropriate traffic control. 
 

obviously the more rural you are and the less people there are to upset you do whatever you want, just be aware if you are working within a metre of the highway you need to comply. 

[ProDave]

  On 12/03/2025 at 17:31, Russell griffiths said:

obviously the more rural you are and the less people there are to upset you do whatever you want, just be aware if you are working within a metre of the highway you need to comply. 

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I checked that and was told that was only if unfenced.  If your boundary is the highway and you have a fence on your boundary, that does not apply.

 

So I erected a fence, did my work on my side of the fence right next to the boundary and then took the fence down.

[saveasteading]

I'd have to check, but there is some distance rule (25m or 40m??) whereby ssen etc have a sudden jump in price for their bit. We put in a duct from the source pole to a new kiosk, and uk power joined them.

Thereafter it became all ours, trench and cable.

The kiosk is on someone else's land, but all formally agreed.

It saved many £k.

[Bancroft]

  On 12/03/2025 at 16:13, JohnMo said:

You can dig it yourself or use any third party.

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The question is, does that third party have to be 'an accredited Lloyds Registered company' or can it just be Knobby from down the road?

 

I'm tempted to just do it but unsure as to how tightly electricity companies are on this rule (or if they even know its in their contract in the first place...)

 

  On 12/03/2025 at 16:13, JohnMo said:

To do it yourself get SSEN to requote for what you are actually doing or not doing, otherwise it will end up a mess.

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Their quote does split out contestable and non-contestable work but I'm already on to them to clarify exactly what is/is not included.

[Bancroft]

  On 12/03/2025 at 17:31, Russell griffiths said:

It depends where this trench is. 

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95% of it is on our land .  A small part is on a shared driveway with a neighbour we'll have to speak to and the other bit will require us access to the neighbouring stable car park to dig along our boundary.  Hopefully the stable owner will see that as a better option to having a permanent pole stay in the middle of his car park!

[markc]

I don’t know of any accreditation for trench digging, at the end of the day can you trust them? I would say do it yourself so you know it’s being done with care and respect for your neighbours etc.

there are many construction jobs that should be left to the traddies but trench digging (assuming it’s not in the road or around other services) is a great DIY task

[Nickfromwales]

Great excuse to go hire a digger and have a bash at it. You can hire a CAT scanner to check for buried services first.

 

Digger driver for an asshole builder, who decided to save the scanner hire fees, promptly went through the 3-phase cable to the pub next door, just before lunchtime and they were packed lol. “No curly fries today sorry!”.

 

DIY is great, but checking where and what your doing first is a must .

 

For every job I’ve been on, the contestable trenching has been excavated by the groundwork’s contractor.

[JohnMo]

  On 13/03/2025 at 09:35, Bancroft said:

The question is, does that third party have to be 'an accredited Lloyds Registered company' or can it just be Knobby from down the road?

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When we did our zero mention of Lloyds accreditation. The wording was are we doing it (SSEN) or are you doing it yourself.  I said myself, end of conversation, quote amended to reflect that. Our run was along the edge of the road in the verge (within 1m of road). Road work sign either end of works and ground work contractor just got along and did it.

[Bancroft]

  On 12/03/2025 at 15:59, Bancroft said:

SSEN defines 'contestable work' as work that is '...necessary for the provision of a connection which can also be undertaken by an Independent Connections Provider (ICP)...'

 

(In our case, basically dig a trench from next to the existing pole to where we want the temporary supply).

 

They then go on to define an ICP as '...an accredited Independent Connections Provider registered with Lloyds Register, including its agents.'

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Ok, I've got to the bottom of this Lloyds Registry stuff.

 

It's just sloppy contract writing on SSEN's behalf (who would have thought...)

 

At one end of the 'contestable work' scale could be a major developer connecting cables between multiple houses ready for SSEN to connect to the grid.

 

At the other end of the 'contestable work' scale is Knobby in his digger, digging a trench across his back garden to the property boundary, in preparation for SSEN to arrive.

 

In the former case, you need to be Lloyds Accredited and have all the qualifications.

 

At the other end of the scale Knobby just needs the key to the digger.

[Nickfromwales]

  On 13/03/2025 at 15:43, Bancroft said:

 

Ok, I've got to the bottom of this Lloyds Registry stuff.

 

It's just sloppy contract writing on SSEN's behalf (who would have thought...)

 

At one end of the 'contestable work' scale could be a major developer connecting cables between multiple houses ready for SSEN to connect to the grid.

 

At the other end of the 'contestable work' scale is Knobby in his digger, digging a trench across his back garden to the property boundary, in preparation for SSEN to arrive.

 

In the former case, you need to be Lloyds Accredited and have all the qualifications.

 

At the other end of the scale Knobby just needs the key to the digger.

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Tell Knobby it’s game on 🥳✔️

[BadgerBodger]

DIY. I just did mine. 150m twin wall cable duct, draw cord, cable marker tape and a digger. I’ve got 800m of water to do in a few months too! 

[saveasteading]

Comes in 100m lengths, so most projects will have 80m left over....I certainly have.