Is it safe to live next door to an electric sub-station?

MoaningMyrtle · 16 April 2012 at 3:00PM

As we are looking to move this year, I have been looking at properties on Rightmove.

There is a fairly decent house that has recently come onto the market, however there is an electricity sub-station (I presume that's the correct name) adjoining the garden, separared by a five foot wooden fence.

Is this safe to live adjacent to? Are they noisy?

sirmosh · 16 April 2012 at 3:04PM

I know people who live next door to one and I've never heard them even mention it. I've never heard of any kind of accident related to living next to one other than people climbing in there.

They do give off a bit of a hum but I don't think you'd hear it indoors although if you like to sit silently in the garden you'd probably hear it.

Werdnal · 16 April 2012 at 3:07PM

Have you got access to BBCiPlayer? This morning's "Homes Under the Hammer" had a property just like that. Can't remember what they said about it as only had half an ear on the TV, but might be worth a look. The house did sell OK.

steve1980 · 16 April 2012 at 4:00PM

Even if they explode they are mostly contained within the "walls" of the station.

hazyjo · 16 April 2012 at 4:05PM

Werdnal beat me to it lol - they said there are 'reports' and 'claims' of people falling 'ill', but that nothing has actually been proven. The presenter said something about not thinking it was any worse than other 'stuff' (sorry I'm really not very techie!) in the air from mobile phones, etc.

Personally, I'd not like to risk it, same as I woudn't want a pylon next door... it will always limit a percentage of buyers in the future. Whether that's 2% or 92%, I have no idea! I suppose no home will appeal to 100% of buyers though...

Jx

Slinky · 16 April 2012 at 4:15PM

I walk past one fairly regularly, it's alongside the garden of a bungalow. I can't say I've ever noticed it humming. The people who own the bungalow once tried to move a part of their fence to aquire an extra bit of land alongside the substation. They had to move it back when it got noticed, but obviously they weren't bothered about getting right up close to it!

Alikay · 16 April 2012 at 4:25PM

I wouldn't buy a house next to a sub-station or pylon, particularly if I was planning to raise children in that house, but that's just my ultra-cautious nature! I don't think any link with cancers or birth defects has actually been proven, though.

cte1111 · 16 April 2012 at 4:28PM

I used to walk past one on my way to school and it definitely hummed. When we were looking at houses I avoided one that was next to this same sub-station as I find the buzz unsettling and think you can sort of feel it in the atmosphere too (but that might well be my imagination).

rev229 · 16 April 2012 at 4:33PM

we live one house away from one and near a railway. Never notice any humming and we walk past it several times a day! In most new estate the biggist house is nearlyn always next to the sub station, well it is where we live!!!

Yorkie1 · 16 April 2012 at 7:12PM

I'd want to double check there wasn't any electrical interference with things like radios. I've no idea whether they do give off such interference but I listen to the radio a lot.

concerned43 · 16 April 2012 at 7:19PM

I would not touch with a barge pole! I worked in a department of bio-engineering and physics which proved there was a link between power stations and cancer.