Electricity cables running across my house

frankie51

My house is at the end of a terrace of 4 and the electricity cables for all 4 houses connect to a (very ugly) box thing on the corner of my house and I have all the cables for the 4 houses running across the wall just under my gutter. Someone has told me that I am entitled to charge the electricity company for doing this or I can tell them to remove the cables - is this right? I have the same arrangement for the telephone wires as well.

rogerblack

Maybe, probably not.
Do you own the house?
Do you have a copy of the deeds?

zax47

It's called a "wayleave" agreement/payment and, if applicable, may be a single payment or an ongoing annual one (albeit tiny, often <£5!) If it was a single payment then a previous owner (or the house builder) may have had it - in which case, tough. For the electricity cables call your DNO, for the phone cables call BT and at both ask to speak to the wayleave people/dept.

http://www.nationalgrid.com/uk/Electricity/AboutElectricity/DistributionCompanies/

magyar

I can promise you for this it will be a tiny payment. A wayleave or easement signed by the previous owner will still bind you to it, and if the house and cables have been there for a long time you can be deemed to have accepted it anyway.

Your best bet as zax47 says is to connect your network operator and see if they have a record of your property. The best outcome would be if they have just lost touch with the old owner and now have to pay you a few years' back pay (although really - best outcome probably a meal out, rather than a new car...)

bengasman

If you find it such a problem, why did you buy the house?

frankie51

Not particularly helpful. If you don't have something constructive to add why did you bother to post?