Electric board running new supply cable - damaging flooring

skybooks

I have been contacted by the electricity board that they will need to run a new feed to my home because the old feed is looped through the neighbors property and they want their end capped.

They advised that this would be at no cost to myself and they would make good any damage.

The planned route has to pass a solid tiled floor.

They first wanted to run the cable mounted on the skirting in some trunking through our entrance hall. I objected as this would look very ugly.

Only other option is to remove a line of tiles and then replace following works. They initially said this would be at no cost to me, and sent a letter confirming this.

Now the electric company have changed their mind and they say they will do but they want me to arrange and pay for the tiles removal and repair. They are quoting from their replacement service policy that states "Where existing meter positions are found to be inaccessible due to alterations made by the customer, the customer shall be asked to remove any obstruction or pay to have the service moved to a more easily accessible position".

They are trying to interpret the tiles as an alteration that I have created. Surely that clause relates to obstructions that end user has created to existing meter access route. In my case the existing route was through the neighbor so my tiling have nothing to do with them.

This is bazaar.


Any advice?

Risteard

I would say tiles you have had laid are an alteration to be fair.

skybooks

Risteard wrote: »

I would say tiles you have had laid are an alteration to be fair.

Thanks.

Original floor was also solid and was made of mosaic tiles which would've been far costlier.

Who can I contact to clarify this issue?

Aylesbury_Duck

skybooks wrote: »

I have been contacted by the electricity board that they will need to run a new feed to my home because the old feed is looped through the neighbors property and they want their end capped.

They advised that this would be at no cost to myself and they would make good any damage.

The planned route has to pass a solid tiled floor.

They first wanted to run the cable mounted on the skirting in some trunking through our entrance hall. I objected as this would look very ugly.

Only other option is to remove a line of tiles and then replace following works. They initially said this would be at no cost to me, and sent a letter confirming this.

Now the electric company have changed their mind and they say they will do but they want me to arrange and pay for the tiles removal and repair. They are quoting from their replacement service policy that states "Where existing meter positions are found to be inaccessible due to alterations made by the customer, the customer shall be asked to remove any obstruction or pay to have the service moved to a more easily accessible position".

They are trying to interpret the tiles as an alteration that I have created. Surely that clause relates to obstructions that end user has created to existing meter access route. In my case the existing route was through the neighbor so my tiling have nothing to do with them.

This is bazaar.


Any advice?

Given your objection to the proposed route which would have been free to you and relatively cheap for them, you’ve forced them to consider the new route. I think you’re on sticky ground. You have a preferred route but expect them to pay for it. If they refuse and you refuse the originally proposed solution, what then?

What do the other traders think?

Carrot007

TBH I'm suprised they offered for free in the first place.


Yes it was a bodge of the time, but can it be proved to be theirs (or at least theirs of old inheritance since the they of them no longer exists.


I assume you mean your local DNO by "Electric board",


They are under no requirement to give pretty for free. And obviously with tiles the do not have they cannot.


It is simply choose an option or do without electric. You will get nowhere. And if you did it would just rise prices for everyone. (not you personallym but if they generally did that).

D_M_E

By capping the cable you could argue it's them that are causing the alteration - it's not your fault as you currently have a perfectly serviceable feed to your premises.

Can they not use a mole plough to get past/under the tiles to a point where the cable would turn and go up to where the meter is? Could be cheaper than digging up and replacing tiles, particularly if some of them break and have to have new ones sourced from somewhere.

markin

Can it not go outside, up the wall across the floor and back down again, or just outside and direct to the meter.

Ectophile

markin wrote: »

Can it not go outside, up the wall across the floor and back down again, or just outside and direct to the meter.

If it's a loop through supply, then it will be going straight through a party wall between two properties. There may not be an outside.


The chances are the cable runs under the neighbour's floor into their meter cupboard, then through the wall to get to the OP's house.

baldelectrician

I did a wiring check several months ago and found one flat with an incoming supply running the other 3 in the block

Scottish Power were called and came out to look, the supply was so bad (rubber cables in tubes showing clear signs of heat damage) they decided to do it the same day.

One flat got uppity and told the leccy guy (not the contractor) he could not get access for 4 hours as her husband was not in - his car was outside and he worked nights so would likely be in bed.

The guy pulled the supply fuse and told the lady it would be off until they got access as it was unsafe.

They were in inside 5 minutes

Your neighbour is being unreasonable with the electric DNO - it is inside their terms of supply they can do this (run a supply off next door - called laterals)
They need to be firm with them

They can also run the cables inside metal trunking which is more robust and can be painted.

southcoastrgi

Risteard wrote: »

I would say tiles you have had laid are an alteration to be fair.

How do you work that out ?
The supply doesn't run under the tiles just because the DNO want to use that route it's not the OP's fault

unforeseen

Your neighbour is being unreasonable with the electric DNO - it is inside their terms of supply they can do this (run a supply off next door - called laterals)
They need to be firm with them

it's not the neighbour being unreasonable. They just want the supply capped.

Running a supply off next door assumes that next door have a supply. It is being capped

If a house has its supply capped then any work to be done would assume that there are no live cables in the house as it would be done at the incoming point. If the loop is left as is then it becomes a future danger as there are still live cables present.

It sounds like it needs to be done for safety reasons more than anything