I want to disconnect from the national electricity grid

Tadasana

Am I legally allowed to disconnect from the national electricity grid?
What does this involve?
How much does this cost?
Will I be able to re-connect in the future if I want to?

[Deleted User]

Have a read:

https://www.theecoexperts.co.uk/blog/going-off-grid#:~:text=So%20the%20installation%20costs%20of,t%20gone%20green%20in%20general.

You will probably have to pay to have the meters removed and the supply capped. Reconnecting to the Grid may well be treated as a new connection.

By way of example, one DNO charges £995 for a disconnection, and £3210 for a single property reconnection.

Robin9

Of course you can - the DNO would need to physically disconnect your service cable from the main cable in the footpath.

Budget for £1000 +

To reconnect £2000 + ?


But why ?

Gerry1

You'll have fun when you want to sell the property...

[Deleted User]

Robin9 said:

Of course you can - the DNO would need to physically disconnect your service cable from the main cable in the footpath.

Budget for £1000 +

To reconnect £2000 + ?


But why ?

This sounds like someone with PV solar and a battery who would like to opt in and out of Grid power to save on standing charges. I suspect many thousands of others would like to do the same.

markin

Selling solar power is almost always a money maker, it would have to be a tiny system or have huge batteries to not need any way to export or import, and eventually the will be an EV to charge up for most people.

Keep_pedalling

[Deleted User] said:

Robin9 said:

Of course you can - the DNO would need to physically disconnect your service cable from the main cable in the footpath.

Budget for £1000 +

To reconnect £2000 + ?


But why ?

This sounds like someone with PV solar and a battery who would like to opt in and out of Grid power to save on standing charges. I suspect many thousands of others would like to do the same.

Anyone who is genuinely self sufficient for electricity is going to be generating an excess, so would be better off getting paid for export than getting rid of standing charges. 

CSI_Yorkshire

Dolor said:

By way of example, one DNO charges £995 for a disconnection, and £3210 for a single property reconnection.

Plus the cost of any additional works that might be needed - it might not be so simple as connecting to a new build house.

QrizB

Tadasana said:

Am I legally allowed to disconnect from the national electricity grid?
What does this involve?
How much does this cost?
Will I be able to re-connect in the future if I want to?

Welcome to the forum.

Do you rent or own? If you own, is it freehold or leasehold?

As others have already said, disconnection and reconnection are possible but are neither quick nor cheap. 

What benefit do you expect to gain from disconnection?

Moneysavingchap

No you really don't. Not a good idea at all, for what? To save a few hundred quid a year in standing charges?

RRatchet

A relative is doing this. This involves a farm steading that has a 3 phase supply that is no longer needed as they no longer mill/mix. The associated farm house has it's own supply and was sold off a good while ago.  The standing charge for the steading is astronomical and the only electricity used is for led lighting. If any milling/mixing were to be done in the future it would be pto driven off the tractor. Buying a hefty generator to use occasionally, for say welding, would be paid for in a couple of years. I wish I could remember the figures but at the time we were discussing it, it was a no brainer. The other thing to bear in mind is that "they" seem to really not want you to disconnect and seem to make the process as costly, long/drawn out and difficult as possible.