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Looped power supply & EV's

AncientMariner
From another Forum that I frequent, I offered to post here to get some good feedback etc.

Looped power supply & EV's

I am just about to purchase an electric car, so have been looking at chargers. I notice that my house has a shared supply. It makes no sense that it would, seen as it was built in the 90's and very house is a detached with their meter cabinets at opposite ends from each other house, but yet there are two cables in to the main fuse.


I've called Northern Power Grid, but they are being very vague and just saying the charger installer would need to run it past them - so a little chicken and egg as I don't want to purchase a car to find out that the power supply isn't up for it then be left for a bill for thousands to disconnect the supply. They also say they don't keep records going back this far.


Anyone else come across this, what was the outcome? Luckily I do have an 80A fuse, but if for some reason this is a shared fuse I'd be properly out of luck.


I asked how he knows that there is a an 80A fuse:

There is a sticker. 100A carrier with 80A fuse according to the sticker. Although it’s a late 1994 house it does have the older black carrier rather the more modern one. Same as the last picture on page 10 of this document Northern Power Grid


What do DNOs do if the cut out fuse is inadequate and they separate the two supplies?  Is this un-looping work chargeable to the household who wants the increased supply capacity?


Similarly, how about for those who query their DNO about their capacity for an EV and it is found that they are on a 60A fuse?  (For example, I know that our fuse is 80A but next door (not looped in) has a 60A fuse. Cable for both houses is  Imperial 1950s PILC of 16mm2 equivalent.) Do DNOs charge to advise fuse capacity or to uprate the fuse?


Clive

  • 0
    I've also come across relatively modern houses (1980s - possibly later) with a looped supply - and as with yours it made little sense as it was a lot further to next door's meter box than it was to the road. NPG's area too (although likely YEB at the time). The thing from a EV point of view was that it wasn't at all obvious that the supply was looped from next door - only next door has two cables into their cut-out. I just became suspicious when I saw a black duct in the downstairs floor void heading in what seemed to be completely the wrong direction. Later on I had sight of a map of the distribution system in that area and it confirmed it was fed from next door.

       - Andy.
  • 0
    Looping was standard practice in many areas from mid 1970s especially on housing estates and some rural with mural services.  IIRC up to three homes on a single service cable.  In my experience there was often no fusing on the loops but I have seen both especially where cables run through properties.  I have also seen looped services in some 1930s homes (originally VIR in conduit under the floor).  I think all the DNOs require you to check for new EV or heat pump connection.   If you have a looped service you will need the DNO to confirm whether you can use a charger or not.  16A charger will obviously be easier than anything faster.
  • 0
    This does beg the question how does the installer check in advance, surely he has to call the DNO - but if they have no records  ???

    And anyone inspecting the end of loop house may well think it has the supply all to itself.

    Some how the DNO will have to be persuaded to make a visit.


    Also some DNOs will unloop free, if the premises that needs unlooping off the end is not the one whose load is increasing - as then the works to the property XX  is not for the benefit of property XX.... So the end house gets a new cable, so  the mid house keeps the old cable, and can get a new car.... I suspect the generosity of DNOs will vary.

    Mike,

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