UK Power Networks info required for new supply

[Furnace]

UKPN have requested I supply info that seems to befit a small town rather than the single residential dwelling for which I'm seeking the supply.
 

Thank you for the information that you have recently provided regarding the above project. A Project Designer has reviewed your file and unfortunately, we are unable to proceed with your application as some of the information that we require is missing as per the current OFGEM regulations.

In order for us to continue with your Quotation as quickly and accurately as possible, please could you provide us with the following information:-
 

·  An accurate breakdown of the required kVA/kW load/generation including landlord supplies and street lighting if applicable. Please remember that you are obliged to confirm your electrical requirements. The attached document shows the average loadings, but this is only a guide and you should contact your electrical contractor to confirm the information -

·  Type of heating for each unit/dwelling

- If electric, please indicate the number of heaters and the kW rating of each -

- If air or ground source heat pumps are to be used please provide the motor/pump details, as follows:

- Size in kW

- Single or three phase

- Starting method (e.g. direct on-line, star delta, soft start)

- Starting and running currents (your supplier or manufacturer should be able to provide these for you)

- Frequency of starting (e.g. twice per hour, once per day etc.)

- Please also remember to include the details for the back-up heater should your unit contain one (please send the specification sheet if available).

 

·  Electric Vehicle Charger

- Please can you confirm the amount of chargers that are to be installed?- 

- Provide the manufacturers Declaration of Conformity Certificate (to give us confidence that the equipment being compliant to the relevant IEC61000 standard) - 

- Manufacturers Data Sheet - 

- Harmonic Data sheet - 

 

·  Details of any Lifts/Pumps/Motors/Welders/ /Air Conditioning units/Cranes/Silos -

- Please provide the following details:

- Size kW/horse power

- Single or three phase

- Starting method (i.e. soft start, star delta, DOL etc.)

- Starting/Running current

- Frequent or Infrequent use

- Point of wave switching (for welders only)

 

It's an (unbuilt) 4 bed Passive House, 225 m2, 28kW solar PV array, 3-phase supply. Needs capacity for a heat pump (although I won't install one since I'm proposing to use a Willis heater) and a EV charger.

I've specced a Myenergi zappi – multiphase ev charger 7kW single phase; 22kW 3-phase and got the spec sheets required.
Any suggestions for heatpump? And the expected "required load/generation"?

I feel out of my depth. Again
 

[Nickfromwales]

They've simply sent you the wrong document. Ask for the correct one  

[Roger440]

40 minutes ago, Furnace said:

UKPN have requested I supply info that seems to befit a small town rather than the single residential dwelling for which I'm seeking the supply.
 

Thank you for the information that you have recently provided regarding the above project. A Project Designer has reviewed your file and unfortunately, we are unable to proceed with your application as some of the information that we require is missing as per the current OFGEM regulations.

In order for us to continue with your Quotation as quickly and accurately as possible, please could you provide us with the following information:-
 

·  An accurate breakdown of the required kVA/kW load/generation including landlord supplies and street lighting if applicable. Please remember that you are obliged to confirm your electrical requirements. The attached document shows the average loadings, but this is only a guide and you should contact your electrical contractor to confirm the information -

·  Type of heating for each unit/dwelling

- If electric, please indicate the number of heaters and the kW rating of each -

- If air or ground source heat pumps are to be used please provide the motor/pump details, as follows:

- Size in kW

- Single or three phase

- Starting method (e.g. direct on-line, star delta, soft start)

- Starting and running currents (your supplier or manufacturer should be able to provide these for you)

- Frequency of starting (e.g. twice per hour, once per day etc.)

- Please also remember to include the details for the back-up heater should your unit contain one (please send the specification sheet if available).

 

·  Electric Vehicle Charger

- Please can you confirm the amount of chargers that are to be installed?- 

- Provide the manufacturers Declaration of Conformity Certificate (to give us confidence that the equipment being compliant to the relevant IEC61000 standard) - 

- Manufacturers Data Sheet - 

- Harmonic Data sheet - 

 

·  Details of any Lifts/Pumps/Motors/Welders/ /Air Conditioning units/Cranes/Silos -

- Please provide the following details:

- Size kW/horse power

- Single or three phase

- Starting method (i.e. soft start, star delta, DOL etc.)

- Starting/Running current

- Frequent or Infrequent use

- Point of wave switching (for welders only)

 

It's an (unbuilt) 4 bed Passive House, 225 m2, 28kW solar PV array, 3-phase supply. Needs capacity for a heat pump (although I won't install one since I'm proposing to use a Willis heater) and a EV charger.

I've specced a Myenergi zappi – multiphase ev charger 7kW single phase; 22kW 3-phase and got the spec sheets required.
Any suggestions for heatpump? And the expected "required load/generation"?

I feel out of my depth. Again
 

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. 

[Alan Ambrose]

Don’t forget all those cranes & silos.

[Furnace]

14 hours ago, Nickfromwales said:

They've simply sent you the wrong document. Ask for the correct one  

Do you think so? Should I risk their wrath by querying it?

[Ben1984]

I had a similar experience with SSE - they originally said that their small connections team weren't able to quote without an accurate breakdown of the required load. After explaining I wasn't able to proivde one, they passed me to their large connection team (who can quote without that the load requirments but apparently it takes longer). The large connection team rang me two days later to say they looked at my enquiry and they'd made the decision to pass it back to the small connection team to quote! After going around the houses, the small connections team were really helpful and quick to produce a quote for a 3 phase supply - for the first time ever is was less than I was expecting to pay!

Moral of the story - speak to them, there may well be a way you can proceed without that information.

[Nickfromwales]

3 hours ago, Furnace said:

Do you think so? Should I risk their wrath by querying it?

How many units/flats are you building?

 

 

……..

[Alan Ambrose]

This is a bit of UKPN make-work. They focus on the HP and car charger as they’re the big loads. My contact actually asked for the make and model of the units. Just say ‘1 dwelling’ and make up appropriate numbers based on the max power / current for the units. Power is 230V x current in amps for this purpose. kVA and kW are ‘the same’ for this calc. No, of course they’re not, but power factors etc are way too much detail for this back-of-the-envelope nonsense.

 

In practice 97% of the time, they’re going to give you either a single phase 100A supply or a 63A 3-phase. So, 23kW or 46kW.  So, make the result come out at about 60% of one of those - so the thing makes sort-of sense to UKPN.

 

The other 3% is for local areas that are close to their max supply limits. Ask them how much they can supply, and then magically come up with a number that is 80% of that.

[Furnace]

Thanks team,

Since it's a single dwelling residential plot (with no lifts street lighting, cranes or small hydro-electrical dam) I queried it via email and received a fluffy reply.

Thank you for your email. It looks like your job was originally with our Small Services Team, however they passed this to our Department (Projects) and advised you wanted a three-phase supply, a single phase service alteration and an overhead to underground mains diversion with pole removal – is this correct?

 

When it comes to our department, we usually require some more information than the Small Services team, due to the type of request.

 

Any questions do let us know.

 

 

I'll dream up some numbers and hope the project is passed back to the Small Services Team.

 

[Dave Jones]

just ask for a 3-phase supply, they will insist on it anyway.

[Kelvin]

It’s not so dissimilar to the document I got and all we had was a field at the time of the quote. You can make a reasonable stab at estimating it as you should have some idea what stuff you’re putting in. They give you some numbers for typical things. 

[Roger440]

6 hours ago, Dave Jones said:

just ask for a 3-phase supply, they will insist on it anyway.

 

i wish!

[Nickfromwales]

On 28/06/2025 at 15:10, Alan Ambrose said:

This is a bit of UKPN make-work. They focus on the HP and car charger as they’re the big loads. My contact actually asked for the make and model of the units. Just say ‘1 dwelling’ and make up appropriate numbers based on the max power / current for the units. Power is 230V x current in amps for this purpose. kVA and kW are ‘the same’ for this calc. No, of course they’re not, but power factors etc are way too much detail for this back-of-the-envelope nonsense.

 

In practice 97% of the time, they’re going to give you either a single phase 100A supply or a 63A 3-phase. So, 23kW or 46kW.  So, make the result come out at about 60% of one of those - so the thing makes sort-of sense to UKPN.

 

The other 3% is for local areas that are close to their max supply limits. Ask them how much they can supply, and then magically come up with a number that is 80% of that.

I'm sure it would be easier to say you're on gas, and omit the HP from the form. Let them install, and then fit it later with a retro-application.

 

The issue here is that they just don't realise that a high performance dwelling that is ultra low energy use has a load for the HP lesser than clicking the kettle and the toaster on at the same time. Modern inverter HP's ramp up softly, so there's very little to worry about there, just the DNO assume huge motor loads and start up currents (from shunt resistance) and it's just not the case nowadays. They should just ask if it is definitely an inverter HP (soft start) and assume the load is negligible.

 

As said, it's one supply or the other, but if you see what a 60a supply can actually run without popping the HRC fuse you wouldn't believe your eyes. Just think of how many folk get a HP installed to existing stock and the supply isn't upgraded.

 

They'd be better off asking about the induction hob as that's way higher consumption, some are crazy big.

[JohnMo]

1 hour ago, Nickfromwales said:

load for the HP lesser than clicking the kettle and the toaster on at the same time. Modern inverter HP's ramp up softly

This is the energy chart for a 6kW heat pump, it's doing cooling but same power is used for heating.

 

Over a 3 minute period it hits 1130W electric draw, then ramps down. Electric is the blue line at the top. So no big energy spikes at all. Our battery doesn't show any spikes either.

 

[Alan Ambrose]

If you take your annual power usage (or your forecast one) you’ll find your average consumption is a couple of amps, and that’s without allowing for self-consumption of PV.