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New Build Supply Issue
Former Community Member
Has anyone here had an issue getting a connection to a new build, due to a substation being at full capacity? We are building in a residential area, albeit rural and on a plot of land that did have a property on it, although some years ago and upon requesting a temporary supply, the surveyor has informed me that I will have to pay to upgrade the network. When I asked about costs he said it could be anywhere from £10k to £100k. Obviously in a bit of a panic and thought I’d reach out to you experts and see if anyone could advise or alleviate my fast beating heart rate! Also, to ask if the old connection would have any bearing? Many thanks all.
Yes I have been on the sidelines on a few occasions where there is no spare capacity on the local network. On 2 occasions it involved the client running on a hired in generator to supply their business for extended periods. Other jobs out in the country where big houses converted and extended with double ovens, AC,swimming pools etc needed upgrading to 3 phase and the client digging deep into their pockets to upgrade the local Tx. One client did not like the view with poles across his fields and the pole Tx to his grand home so paid for the cables to be buried a GRP enclosure for Tx on his adjacent farm out of view which was a big spend but peanuts up against him stocking the wine cellar.
If there is no capacity on the local network the DNO is going to want a big contribution to re-inforce their network. Probably not the answer you want to hear?
Yes I have been on the sidelines on a few occasions where there is no spare capacity on the local network. On 2 occasions it involved the client running on a hired in generator to supply their business for extended periods. Other jobs out in the country where big houses converted and extended with double ovens, AC,swimming pools etc needed upgrading to 3 phase and the client digging deep into their pockets to upgrade the local Tx. One client did not like the view with poles across his fields and the pole Tx to his grand home so paid for the cables to be buried a GRP enclosure for Tx on his adjacent farm out of view which was a big spend but peanuts up against him stocking the wine cellar.
If there is no capacity on the local network the DNO is going to want a big contribution to re-inforce their network. Probably not the answer you want to hear?
Apart from the stately home I think the biggest was a laundry running on a generator for a year and then £50kish for a new transformer. Another a big wood mill that now have their own generator to run part of their plant and the same for a farm where the generator runs only at milking time. A big house in Essex that went from a single 60A single phase to 3 phase 100A for around £15K. A single phase posh house in West London from 60A single phase to 3 phase 100A £5K.
All of them took determination and persistence with the DNO and multiple visits from a cast of many before getting the upgrade. If I were you I would start talking to the DNO to get some idea of costs and time from application. I did a design last year for a shop warehouse conversion in to flats and the client used a 3rd party to do the civils and the cabling to the DNO Tx for final connection to the Tx as they were cheaper the using the DNO but it was thousands of pounds as the cable had to cross a main road.
We’re just after a single phase supply, so hopefully we won’t be lumped with a £50k bill but of course the other consideration is a build due to start any day now and no certainty about a power supply.
Well I’m under the impression that the DNO does have to offer the most cost effective solution (hmm) but I will bear that in mind as a suggestion for sure.
