its older then the 1970s - may well be pre-war and also may well (shhh) contain asbestos pads in the fuse holder.

It is a 'loop-in' service so the two cables that supply it are one coming into your property and one carrying the unfused supply on to a neighbour. To change it would cut their supply as well as yours.

Although common when supplies to cheaper houses were "lighting only", new feeds have not been done like this for some decades.

The green and yellow earth wire is modern, originally the supply may well have relied upon the lead water service for its earthing, if it had any at all originally.  Earhing for sockets arrived in the regs from the late 1930s onwards, and for lighting circuits in the late 1960s.
It is not ideal, but assuming no leaks, not immediately dangerous. If you or the linked neighbour intend to add high load item like an electric car, or even install a large solar array, then it will need to be re-done so the service is not shared.

Interestingly some one has added the meter quite recently, (this century) and presumably was not worried about the asbestos risk, it may mean there isn't any, or that someone was not being very careful.

Any case my money is on pre-war for the supply cable and the ISCO metal service head. It may have originally been fused neutral as well - also deprecated.

Given you say the house is circa 1930s it is almost certainly original work Maybe it was supposed to be updated in the '70s and for some reason it never happened, but the record was ticked as if it had.

Mike

Not only is the water pipe modern plastic, so is the twinwall duct it's in by the looks - so I might suspect it's more of a case of the water being installed next to the existing electric rather than the other way around (making use of a convenient hole through the wall perhaps?). The easier solution might be to move the water...

  - Andy.

Those two copper pipes which go nowhere look shiny and new. I'd want to cap them off properly.

I agree that the water supply post-dates the electricity supply, but their proximity is not dangerous in itself.

Assuming that the incoming supply is PILC (paper insulated lead sheathed cable) that BS 951 clamp for the earthing conductor is inappropriate.

The equipment is nothing to do with National Grid - it is the responsibility of your Distribution Network Operator, which depends upon where you live.

You could ask the DNO to provide information i.a.w. Regulation 28 of ESQCR 2003. Then they would have to come out and have a look (unless they already know the answers).

"28.  A distributor shall provide, in respect of any existing or proposed consumer’s installation which is connected or is to be connected to his network, to any person who can show a reasonable cause for requiring the information, a written statement of—

(a)the maximum prospective short circuit current at the supply terminals;

(b)for low voltage connections, the maximum earth loop impedance of the earth fault path outside the installation;

(c)the type and rating of the distributor’s protective device or devices nearest to the supply terminals;

(d)the type of earthing system applicable to the connection; and

(e)the information specified in regulation 27(1),

which apply, or will apply, to that installation."

find your DNO here https://britishbusinessenergy.co.uk/blog/distribution-network-operator-map/

Thank you everyone for the info about the age of the supply and the DNO. I live in The Midlands so my DNO is National Grid.

The stopcock pictured is the mains stop cock. Whilst the supply has been upgraded, I don’t see any reason why it would have been moved at a later date, especially into a location where the electricity supply was situated. The mains gas supply also emerges at the same point, so I’m thinking maybe they dug one channel and all 3 services were laid in it. Does that stand to reason based on experience in working in properties of this age?

thanks again 

Indeed - in the days of hand tools and a hand digging, minimising trenches would be quite attractive. I'm a bit surprised it is a sold floor as houses of that vintage are normally wooden floor boards, as this is a lot lighter to transport to site than cement.

(in such houses, a head or a mirror looking below the boards often reveals service entries more or less co-located but pipes snaking across the over-site (usually cement by the 1930s, but often earth in earlier houses) to get to the kitchen or wherever the service emerges)

I've also seen houses with very shallow foundations (like 2 spade depths) from that era as well, so don't dig too deep along side.

Note for others that the DNO formerly called " Western Power" is now called "National Grid" So of course is the National Grid, so it is a bit of a silly name,..

M.

Lexi said:

I live in The Midlands so my DNO is National Grid.

My apologies - I see that NG bought Western Power Distribution in 2021 and subsequently renamed it, "National Grid Electricity Distribution."

Thank you Chris, I will ask them to provide that information. I really just want the connections brought to the outside wall - they are currently in the downstairs loo!

Is there any restriction on how close the electric supply can be to the mains gas?

Thank you Andy, done a bit more research and the mains gas pipe also comes in the same point. As the house was pre-War and there were no JCBs, thinking that they dug a single trench for all the services, however the water pipe has since been renewed (I’m guessing that the original would have been lead). The main stop cock and electricity supply is in an unheated room - downstairs loo, so it’s possible that it froze and burst at some point, hence them installing ducting and insulation

Thank you mapj1, this is all v helpful info. Yes I’m looking to upgrade to a smart meter and get a charging point installed.