Undergrounding electric supply

[Nat]

An elderly relative has been approached by the supply company, asking him to sign for them to underground the supply to his property, resulting in the removal of overhead wires across his garden. so far so good. But the next door house "don't want to be undergrounded" so they will still have an OH supply running from the UG mains in the road. (?). For some reason the supply co. want to run this from a new pole in relatives garden, rather than putting the pole in the neighbours garden. So even tho relative will have no need of a pole, being UG from road to house, he would have a pole at the boundary of his property to serve next door (and presumably will share the part of the UG mains from road to pole). The distances involved are not large, the whole front gardens are only about

75ft square. I would like to know why the neighbour can't have the pole in his own garden, also what should relative be looking out for when all this is arranged? Is there a downside to sharing part of the "spur" from the UG road supply? Why would anyone NOT want to be UG anyway? Am I missing something here? ( I have spent a considerable amount of time trying to persuade the supply people to UG my wires, to no avail. And here is someone - the neighbour - actively refusing it) Is this a cost issue, ie would having the pole in the neighbours garden possibly be more expensive for the company to do, or is there some other issue here.? Has anyone any experience to share before I try to advise relative? Thanks. Nat.

[Morgan]

Don't know what the legal position is here, and I have added uk.legal to see if someone there can help, but I would personally refuse, point blank to allow this to happen. Or, negotiate an extortionate rent, that would allow them to place the pole, and see me alright throughout my retirement!

[BigWallop]

The existing service head (box above ground next to the pole) already has a supply to it. The two houses are already supplied from this box, i.e.. from under the road to the box. From the box to the pole. From the pole to the houses.

To install another box and pole further along the road would mean an awful load of upheaval in the highway for the supply company, so it is really down to them not wanting to make a bigger mess than is necessary.

I would have thought the supply company would have made a compulsory order in the area and have everyone taken from a new underground supply. Or are they asking your relative to pay for this to be done ?

[Wanderer]

I suspect the neighbours have become awkward towards the leccy company and they're looking for an easy way out.

No reason at all. Your relative doesn't have to have the pole in his garden. Full stop.

The wayleave payments are more or less fixed and aren't negotiable. If you want to start negotiating, then you have to look at granting them a permanent easement, which they would have to 'buy', so you do then have some scope to negotiate. But, the downside to that is that once your relative grants a permanent easement, the leccy company have a legal right to be there. That isn't the same with a wayleave, where said relative could give notice to the company who would have to move the pole after a predetermined time, usually 12 months.

In that position, I'd tell the company, sorry, not interested. Remember, though that they might just finish up sticking the pole in the back edge of the foorpath outside your relative's house anyway. I suspect the bottom line is that it's doing things in the easiest and cheapest way for the leccy company. If you start making things really difficult,

*you* won't see the cost implications, but if everyone did, then slowly but surely costs would rise.

You pays your money and takes your choice.....

[The Natural Philosopher]

M.. I paid upwards of £18k to part shgare the cost of undergrounding the supply over MY garden.

The initial quote involved putting a pole in the boundary hdges with stays coming into the garden - naturally a pople at the end of an overground un needs bracing, and if its all to be done on your property, thats where the stays end up. I suspect some6hing like that is the issue here.

Ultimately, we undergrounded 600 meters of line, from a pole on a field edge necxt to a track where they could put stays, to a place where someone up the road had undergrounded it already. I got my very own substation in the corner of the garden. Talk about good supply regulation :-)

I suspect your neighbour has to find some part of the cost - even if its only making good the mess after they lay cables - to get the thing undergrounded.

Seriously, I'd have a chat wih him, and even offer to help pay for anything if only he will take the UG supply.

Electricity companies have very limited budgets but they will always nderground if they can. Less maintenance. alk to all involved, find ouyt what the issues and options are, and, if you can afford it, get the elederly relative to wave a slittle cash around - often its not huge amounts - and it should pan out.

As far as your situation is concerned, phone up and get to talk to someone who deals with 'undergroundimng teh netwwork in your area, and strat teh conversation with 'how much would ypu cahrge me to underground my cable'

THAT will get a surveyor out on site and talking to you pretty fast. Th3en its down to haggling. If you can get a whole road to agree, it may be even cheaper.

[John Anderton]

He can but presumably he doesn't want it. It's a bit odd but that's his decision

Just make sure he doesn't sign anything which gives the electricity board permanent rights over his garden. A standard wayleave should be fine. It allows your relative to request the removal of the pole at a later date if he gives sufficient notice

I'm not sure what you mean here. It's more likely that your relative and his neighbour will be on totally separate supplies (i.e. different phases) to spread the load even though they come from the same "cable"

Perhaps the neighbour doesn't want his garden disturbed (or he's just bloody-minded :-) )

More likely the neighbour is being stroppy and the electricity company is trying to find an easier way out (and who can blame them)

I've had experience of having mine and my neighbours supply put underground recently but that all went fairly smoothly

Cheers,

John

[Nat]

Thank you all for your thoughts on this. I'm going to speak to the supply co with my relative so I'll let you know what goes down. Nat

[John Anderton]

Any chance of any details here ?

Cheers,

John

[Colin Wilson]

Post)

Basically, a couple needed a pole moving, but were told it would cost=20 =A35k.

They discovered there wasn`t a wayleave in force, and are getting it=20 moved it for free.

--=20 Please add "[newsgroup]" in the subject of any personal replies via email My email address has "btiruseless" and @btinternet.com in it ;-)

[John Anderton]

Thanks for that,

Cheers,

John

[Colin]

Same thing happened to me with MEB.

They quoted me *much* more than £5K. I invited them around to discuss it. Discovered that the wayleave had expired and pointed it out. "Ahah" said the Wayleave Manager, "If you cash the annual rental check, then that means that you are extending the wayleave for another year." "Ahah" said I, "I haven't cashed the last two cheques..."

His attitude changed instantly. We agreed that if I dug the trench (approx

75meters) then they would resite a transformer, bury the cables and remove two poles.

In the end, they used a mole and did the whole lot for free.

Once through the red tape at the beginning, everybody turned out to be really accommodating, reasonable chaps.

This was 5 years ago though...

Colin

[Wanderer]

Yes, you have to remember that they *are* after all employees of the company, and they ain't just going to give the company's money away without a bit of a try to see if they can get someone else to pay first.

[Jason Arthurs]

Out of interested what is a wayleave? I've recently bought a house which has, for want of a better description a telegraph pole in the garden carrying electricity to the whole of the terrace (five houses). It's supplied by a transformer at the end of the road and I am therefore assuming it to be 240v. I've had to fit a UPS since we moved here as we get occasional brownouts which are sufficient to upset my computers.

From the brief reading of the deeds of the house there was no mention of the pole.

The previous owners have screwed a hanging basket bracket to the pole but I would assume the pole is the property of the electricity company and they're probably not allowed to do this. The pole doesn't appear to have a lightning conductor on it, but then I'm now entirely sure this would be a good thing on an electricity supply pole.

Regards, Jason.

[S Viemeister]

Is that normally mentioned in the deeds? I've gone through the deeds for my house, line by line, and I see nothing about the telephone and electricity poles on the property. I would LOVE to have them moved - they make noise (are they supposed to do that?) and they mar the otherwise gorgeous view.

[Colin Wilson]

A wayleave is a bit of paper saying you grant them permission to plant equipment in your garden / on your land etc. Wayleaves will normally pay a small sum (a very small sum) for this right, and the agreement can be terminated - they may require a notice period to terminate the agreement though.

An easement is similar, but is a permanent right of way for the third party to use your land, and to dig it up if need be to repair any problems or lay new cable.

As the pole supplies your house it complicates matters in that you want an electric supply - you`ve been provided with an electric supply. The equipment in the back of the garden was deemed necessary to get it to you, and permission for that is implied as part of the works necessary to give you that supply.

Whether that then gives them carte blanche to supply anyone else from the same pole and oversailing your land is another matter...

As for the brown-outs, how often, how frequent, and could they be tying in with other possible disturbances on the network ? (ie. farmer with welding kit further up the link)

Ask your local supplier to fita voltage recorder (they`re supposed to be fitted within 10 days of the request) and you might get something usable from that data (depending on what they send you back).

Remember that nominal voltage is now 230v +10% / -6% but voltages have generally remained at their "old" level to reduce resistivity losses on the network (the higher the voltage, the less they lose in transmission / getting it to you)