Western Power Distribution - leaving us with no kitchen...

[cupsandtrousers]

Hello,

Just after a little advice.
We are having a new kitchen fitted, we took down a false ceiling to reveal a mains power cable hanging loose in the cavity. Electrician contacted Western Power to pull the service fuse and re-route the cable. They have said that the cable is substandard as is the service head and it all needs to be replaced. The problem I have is that they have not given me a date to carry out the work (said it would be at least two weeks but would probably be more as they are low on staff), they won't let us carry on with any building work in the meantime (which means we have no kitchen and three tradesmen sitting twiddling their thumbs) and, although they say this cable is so dangerous that even our electrician isn't allowed to touch it, they have left it tacked up to the wall in what will be my kitchen.

Does this sound right? Surely they have some duty to carry out the work asap (I don't even want it done but they rejected every one of my electrician's other suggestions)? The delay is going to cost me so much that I'm worried I won't be able to afford the kitchen at the end of it and will be left with a plastered box. On top of that, all the tradesmen are booked onto other jobs in two weeks and so even if I could afford to pay them more they won't be around to finish the kitchen off.

Does anybody know what kind of duty Western Power are under to a residential customer? Is there anyway I can get them to move faster on this? Have tried the Ombudsman (no use - everything in writing to western power and they have 8 weeks to resolve) and CAB (very friendly but no help).

How can I hurry them along, I can't believe that there aren't regulations covering this??

Cheers for any advice.

 

[westie101]

If you only found it when you started work what happened to planning the job? If it is your supply did you not wonder how it got to the meter position?

I'm assuming the false ceiling was not put up by yourselves as if it was you would have known it was there.

Despite popular belief the DNOs don't have unlimited resources of staff hung on pegs waiting for the customer to call. (well we could but at the expense of your bills rising!)

At the moment for underground cable jointing our programme is pretty much firm for the next 2 months.

But yes they could do it quicker but at the expense of cancelling another person's job, would that be fair? If you were the person whose job got cancelled would you be happy?

 

[SimonH2]

Is this cable on your side of the main fuse ? I'm assuming it is.

As I see it there are two issues :

1) There's a problem with the service head - that's the DNOs problem and the fact they can't do it "right now" means (to my laymans mind) that they are in default in terms of providing a supply. After a certain time without power, I believe you are entitled to compensation. After all, if they have an 11kV line come down and can't fix it straight away (they only have limited numbers of 11kV qualified people as well), I don't believe they can just say "tough, we'll fix it when we get round to it".
But as Westie says, they can't have an infinite number of repair people on standby - so apart from claiming your compo, you will just have to wait.

2) You have a problem with (I assume) a submain or meter tails to your CU. Did your electrician suggest a temporary "builder's supply" (dunno what's it's properly called) and leave the property disconnected until the cabling is corrected ? At least then you could rig a temporary supply (13A plug on a length of cable) to the CU - wouldn't run the cooker, but would let you keep the lights on.

Also, if the cable in the kitchen is yours (rather than the DNO supply cable), you can carry on with the works - the electrician will need to sort out the cabling and can do all his dead tests as soon as he is able. When the DNO deigns to sort out it's service head, then everything will be ready to go.
In the meantime, use a genny for power for the workmen (and for you for some of the time), and candles when you don't want the genny running.

In other words, unless this cable in the kitchen is the DNO supply cable, it does not mean you need to stop work.

 

[securespark]

PICTURES PLEASE!!

 

[Lectrician]

YEP!