NIE £30,000 Electricity Connection Charge

Snowflakes

How did you get on with your quote carrickmannon? Was it as high as you expected?
Contemplates - Yes, our quote was on the basis of us doing all trench work/ground works etc.
My update is that sadly,despite repeatedly asking NIE to use some common sense, they would not reduce the price.
Contestability comes in next year so we are hoping to get cheaper quotes from other companies for the contestable parts of the installation but we still don't know how much cheaper this will be.

Snowflakes

Just wondering if anyone had any updates on their connections since?
A major part of the work to connect us is upgrading/extending an 11kv line.
Someone recently pointed out that surely NIE should be funding this themselves the high voltage line is part of their infrastructure?
We would be fine with paying for the LV part but the upgrading of the 11kv line part is the biggest part of the quote.
Would anyone have any knowledge of this?

waltsalt

Snowflakes, I have no knowledge about this subject matter whatsoever but just wanted to post to say I agree with you 100%.

What kind of half-a**ed way of working is it to expect a single customer to pay for a major infrastructure upgrade that should be there in the first place and can benefit others over time. I know they aren't exactly running a charity but surely an electricity supply is a basic right we can expect when living in this wonderful country.

Ardstraw_fc

Contestability will open in northern Ireland by the end of 2017 as it did in mainland GB over ten years ago. NIE are fully regulated by ofgem, who approve the costs for each item of work to prevent them 'sticking the arm in'. Flip side of this apparent benefit it is it prevents them from negotiating down as this will be seen as anti competitive. NIE previously offered domestic premises a 40% discount from the cost which they funded themselves, but again this was removed by the regulator as it was seen as anti competitive.

Come November this year, you will be able to get both a contestant and non contestants quote from NIE. You will have the benefit of negotiating a cost for the first time with ICP's (independent connection providers) for the contestants part. These providers will be Lloyds accredited to carry out the work and NIE will adopt it once the work is complete. Contestability within northern Ireland is already here for connections over 5mW.

Hold out and you will get a better price. (Priced £20k for NIE connection)

Apologies for the long winded message, hope this helps!

Thomas_boy87

How did everyone get on with contested works?

I!!!8217;ve to bring electric 400m and NIE looking £22k.

Even with an Independent doing the contested part of the works, NIE still looking £12k for checking it all meets their standard.

oc75

Hi, has anyone any updates on this issue. I got quotes back from NIE for them to do all the works or an option to do part of the works through a contractor, BUT, the big but is that it has to be an approved NIE contractor. The list of approved contractors seems to be GB based companies. Still looks heavily weighted towards having to use NIE. They still have to oversee /approve the works so I can't see there being much saving. My connection fee is about £5.5k. The NIE fee alone, if using another contractor for the work is £1.5k.


Anyone know if it is worthwhile appointing another contractor for part of the works.

x12yhp

No help to you guys but a general thought on the matter...

I was talking to someone who does green energy 'things'. Some of these connection charges would go a long long way to getting you onto an 'off grid' scenario. Just think of the longer term benefits...!

joefizz

20 grand would get you a hell of an off grid solar and battery backup system!


I was at an energy supplier conference a couple of months ago and the guy I was sat beside did exactly that instead of paying the groundwork and connection fee to connect his newbuild.


I also heard of someone doing the same thing but with a couple of nissan leafs and ground source heat to go pretty much energy free.


I installed a 4.8kw battery backup back on 1st July and think Ive used about 5 units from the grid since then (my own fault - used immersion at the same time as other stuff). Off grid would be much higher cost than my roughly 5kw solar and battery backup but definitely worth looking in to.
Probably qualify for ROCs as well although at the low level.

qwert_yuiop

joefizz wrote: »

20 grand would get you a hell of an off grid solar and battery backup system!


I was at an energy supplier conference a couple of months ago and the guy I was sat beside did exactly that instead of paying the groundwork and connection fee to connect his newbuild.


I also heard of someone doing the same thing but with a couple of nissan leafs and ground source heat to go pretty much energy free.


I installed a 4.8kw battery backup back on 1st July and think Ive used about 5 units from the grid since then (my own fault - used immersion at the same time as other stuff). Off grid would be much higher cost than my roughly 5kw solar and battery backup but definitely worth looking in to.
Probably qualify for ROCs as well although at the low level.

I've a relative living on a very windy hill who was keen to put up a wind turbine. His wife objected because of the noise, so they're still on the mains. Now the neighbour has put up a monster turbine, so they've got the noise anyway.

I'm told there was pretty much no wind this summer, which made them feel a wee bit better.

justaquestion

Good to know that you are in your second year living successfully with your wife as you say.

You haven't said how much all this has cost you though, why not!!!!

Reading your post reminded me of that old Joe Kerbo book "The lazy mans way to riches" which many decades ago used to be advertised in the press, basically he told you how well he was doing, and you sent him your money to find out the secret.

So good to know that you are joining the company that fitted you out, and you would like a lot of potential customers.
best of luck!