Whose responsibility is safety of incoming electric main?

[Nick]

The underground incoming electric main to our place rises to our property in a brick built shed at the corner of a local lane. The meter is also within said shed, which is at least 50 years old. Time and damage caused by passing vehicles have taken their toll on the shed which is now in danger of collapse. Should the shed collapse it will (1) become unsafe and possibly become a hazard to the public and (2) disrupt our supply. As header, who is responsible for the safety of the incoming main?

Also, any ideas how best to proceed please.

TIA, Nick.

[Andrew Gabriel]

Your local network maintainer is responsible for the safey of the supply (you can get this information from whoever you buy your electricity from, and it may be listed on your bill).

However, they are not responsible for the safety of your shed. If the building is in danger of collapse, they are required to disconnect the supply. If you are rebuilding the shed or want the supply head moved to your house, they will charge you for their work in moving the supply (and it's not usually cheap).

The cheapest option (although probably not the safest) might be to repair the shed without disturbing the electricity supply in it.

[jgharston]

To clarify, the supplier are responsible for all equipment up to the consumer's end of the tails that exit the meter. This may be up to the consumer isolation switch, if there is one, or up to the consumer unit if not. Everything from and including the isolation switch or the consumer unit is the consumer's responsibily.

Technically, the property /owner's/ responsibility, not the property /occupier's/ responsibilty, but the occupier has a duty to take resonable care of any fixtures.

JGH

[ARWadsworth]

I would say that even if there is no isolation switch the electricity company are still not responsible for the customers tails. The electricity company will not in my experience ever connect customers tails to a supply other than when swapping a meter. The customer bought them (or indeed paid me to buy them) and the customer owns them.

[michael adams]

As far as the shed is concerned this is no different to your having the meter inside your house and your house being in danger of collapse. Which would clearly be your own responsibility to repair. The fact that you don't actually live in the shed and so wouldn't be similarly inconvenienced by its collapse is of no real relevance.

As has been said the cheapest solution would probably be to repair the shed sufficiently so as to allow it to withstand the weather and increasing traffic levels for the next fifty years.

michael adams

...

[The Natural Philosopher]

same here. the leccy lot own the cable to the meter, and the meter, and the fuses, and that's it.

if its dodgy beyond, they pull the fuses.

[ARWadsworth]

I believe that both you and Andrew Gabriel have covered the finer details.

From past experience of such things if the shed was to collapse then the electricity supply would probably be cut off for free at the most expensive point of reconnection.

[Brian Gaff]

I mean, after all if its on your property, then its your shed, if the state of it means the supply is unsafe you old not expect them to pay for your shed, the cheapest option is to cut the power to persuade you to fix the shed!

Brian