Follow up question: quote for connection and local supply issue

Thanks statter‍ and davezawadi (David Stone)‍ .


What they are proposing is the same as the original plan - to dig from the Tx at Drakewalls Mine, across the neighbour's field/garden and down the driveway, under the road and to the pole across the road. However, instead of me paying for this digging, they are proposing to pay for this. This is what the chap from WPD said:

To get the price down I had to speak to my manager and came up with different way of looking at the quote. As our network is right on the limit, he agreed for me to look into how we could make this work.
 
By replacing the existing cable with the next size up our network will be ok. But it still does not work with your new supply, so the cost you are asking about is the difference between next size up cable and a cable that will allow your connection. As we would have to replace the cable that is in the ground sometime, my manager has agreed for WPD to take on the excavation works for the mains cable overlay.


Instead, they want me to pay the difference between the cost of the 185mm2 cable that they say they would have put in (if they were doing a simply upgrade), and the 300mm2 cable they say they need in order to be able to provide me with a supply. The current supply is in the form of a 95mm2 cable, from Drakewalls mine over to the pole, and then up and down the street on two 55mm2 ABCs. 


I asked WPD two questions:

1. Are you sure that you cannot provide my home with a supply (1ph 15 KVA) by overlaying the 95mm2 cable with a 185mm2 cable, and,

2. If you are going to future proof your work, why are you not considering installing a 300mm2 cable anyway, given that last week the PM announced phasing out petrol and diesel cars by 2030.


The answer to the first question was 'no we cannot'. I didn't get any additional explanation, and I am not wholly convinced that this is true. 


The answer to the second question was "As far as the announcement from the government, there is no blanket upgrade in place, it is case by case upgrade as when needed". This seems to me a non-answer really. I didn't ask if there was a blanket upgrade, only that if they were going to be doing an upgrade anyway, why not future-proof it in light of what they know about the direction of travel. If a 185mm2 cable won't provide me with a supply, is it really going to be suitable in 10 years' time when everyone has an EV charging point and a heat pump...


So what I'm trying to establish is, what is the veracity of the claim that they could not provide me with a supply by installing a 185mm2 cable. And are they asking me to pay for an upgrade cable that they really ought to be putting in anyway.


Here is a (hopefully clearer) copy of the plan of work.

proposed plan of work WPD.pdf


Many thanks

M

Thanks statter‍ and davezawadi (David Stone)‍ .


What they are proposing is the same as the original plan - to dig from the Tx at Drakewalls Mine, across the neighbour's field/garden and down the driveway, under the road and to the pole across the road. However, instead of me paying for this digging, they are proposing to pay for this. This is what the chap from WPD said:

To get the price down I had to speak to my manager and came up with different way of looking at the quote. As our network is right on the limit, he agreed for me to look into how we could make this work.
 
By replacing the existing cable with the next size up our network will be ok. But it still does not work with your new supply, so the cost you are asking about is the difference between next size up cable and a cable that will allow your connection. As we would have to replace the cable that is in the ground sometime, my manager has agreed for WPD to take on the excavation works for the mains cable overlay.


Instead, they want me to pay the difference between the cost of the 185mm2 cable that they say they would have put in (if they were doing a simply upgrade), and the 300mm2 cable they say they need in order to be able to provide me with a supply. The current supply is in the form of a 95mm2 cable, from Drakewalls mine over to the pole, and then up and down the street on two 55mm2 ABCs. 


I asked WPD two questions:

1. Are you sure that you cannot provide my home with a supply (1ph 15 KVA) by overlaying the 95mm2 cable with a 185mm2 cable, and,

2. If you are going to future proof your work, why are you not considering installing a 300mm2 cable anyway, given that last week the PM announced phasing out petrol and diesel cars by 2030.


The answer to the first question was 'no we cannot'. I didn't get any additional explanation, and I am not wholly convinced that this is true. 


The answer to the second question was "As far as the announcement from the government, there is no blanket upgrade in place, it is case by case upgrade as when needed". This seems to me a non-answer really. I didn't ask if there was a blanket upgrade, only that if they were going to be doing an upgrade anyway, why not future-proof it in light of what they know about the direction of travel. If a 185mm2 cable won't provide me with a supply, is it really going to be suitable in 10 years' time when everyone has an EV charging point and a heat pump...


So what I'm trying to establish is, what is the veracity of the claim that they could not provide me with a supply by installing a 185mm2 cable. And are they asking me to pay for an upgrade cable that they really ought to be putting in anyway.


Here is a (hopefully clearer) copy of the plan of work.

proposed plan of work WPD.pdf


Many thanks

M