Had a site visit today from Western Power to discuss the removal of the looped supply I have to my neighbour's property (WP are visiting all customers who have a looped supply and where a car charger has been installed [not mine]). Whilst we were discussing the work and the routing of the new supply cable to the meter cabinet, the sureyor offered to install a 3 phase supply. The existing meter would be retained and I would have access to just one phase unless I wanted more power at a future date. Aside from a new meter cupboard which would be around 50% bigger (which is tucked away and generally out of sight) and which they will supply/fit, I can't see any downside to this proposal. No cost to myself. Currently on a 100A supply. Last month used 570Kw/h of Electricity. No plans for an electric car but who knows... Any reasons not to proceed?
Domestic 3 Phase Supply Offered by Western Power
Oct 14, 2021
Last reply: 4 years ago
11 Replies
I would go with it as it future proofs your property especially as does not involve a outlay by you.
Richard
+1. They'll just hang a single phase meter off it, but then it's relatively cheap to upgrade to a three phase meter(*) at a later date. Or simply tap off to a second single phase meter (eg you wanted to power a garage or granny flat or something on a separate supply)
Could also be useful if you want to install some three phase machine tools in the shed ;-)
Theo
(*) I think three phase smart meters are a bit tricky at the moment, but they'll eventually sort that out.
I think teh standing charge is higher if you switch officially to a 3 ph supply?
However as others have pointed out, you would be future proofing and you'd be able to have several electric cars, severa heat pumps proviing your central heating and hot water and even AC units to cool your house during heatwaves!
I think installing 3ph to the cut-out has been WPD's preferred method since Oct 2020
TBH I'm not surprised. Laying a 4 core cable rather than 2 can't cost much more. Also future proofing against demand as well as faults, where the phases can be swapped.
But twice the amount of copper, half of which could potentially never be used.
+1. Apart from the other obvious factors already suggested, you can get a decent lathe and milling machine as well.
I'm working on getting a new supply for a house conversion. 70 metres from the road, WP will put a new supply in, but it will only be to the house side of the road wall. Not really a problem. They only do 3 phase supplies he told me. £1700 for them to dig up the path, and connect it up in a customer supplied GRP box. And they will not supply an earth. This is from an overhead supply that is currently PME. Check to see if you are getting PME, or TT. Otherwise there arent any downsides.
It sounds like a good deal, i would go for it, there is no real downside.
WP are future proofing for electric car chargers and electric heat pumps.
The DNO's have been allocated money (6.5 Bn)by the regulator (OFFGEM) to prepare their networks for the anticipated increase in capacity required by car chargers and heat pumps.
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If you had the perfect roof for solar panels 3-phase means you could run
3 times the amount (11KWp) without DNO special permission which is limited to 16A per phase. (I wanted to install a 5KW inverter to go with the 4.2kWp array but DNO said noooooo.)So no reason not to proceed if it won't cost you anything.
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