EV charger next door: DNO want to 'modify the loop' to my dad's house.

[MeldrewsMate]

My dad lives in a semi-detatched bungalow on a suburban street.
The house next door (not the attached one) has had an EV point installed. There has been some talk of 'the ring needing to be uprated', and now my dad has received a letter from the Electricity DNO saying they want to visit to discuss 'some essential work'. He's 93, so the jargon will go right over his head, and I can't be there for the proposed visit.
Any suggestions as to what work may be proposed? He's worried that they'll want to dig a 30 feet long trench down his drive (and do a shi-ite job of restoring the surface). If they do want to dig a trench I'd like to take the opportunity to re-lay the mains water in 25mm MDPE pipe, and run in a conduit so the gas board can lay their yellow pipe in later without re-mullering the drive.

MM

 

[AdrianUK]

I years gone by it was not un-common to dig one cable from the road & then use it to supply TWO houses by 'looping' the second one from the first.

This looping has to be removed if either party wants an EV charger - a new cable will need to be laid to supply the house which has been unlooped.. My guess is that this is what they are proposing to do.

Unfortunately you don't have any choice in the matter - its their cable. There wont be any charge to you.

 

[oldbutnotdead]

Don't rely on them digging a trench deep enough for your water pipe either- they might do if you ask nicely and bribe them with the good biscuits but they won't want to wait for the water board bloke to inspect and sign off on the trench.

 

[ericmark]

My sons neighbour had same problem, it seems the DNO records showed the cables were not looped, and he wanted cables off the wall so an extension could be built, and into a meter box, so no need for meter reader to enter the house, so asked for cables to be moved, and was given a price, which he accepted.

It seems some one back in the 40's or when ever houses were built, took a short cut, and looped him with next door, without being official, with no way leave to do it, so when it came to moving, it was realised they would also need to put in a new supply to next door, under his new drive way.

However it seems they can use some sort of mole, which can go under most of the drive, so the damage was minimal. But next door had two options, either new cable, or no electric, so no real option. It must have cost the DNO a fortune, but my sons fee remained unchanged.

However what it did mean was a huge delay in it happening, he had a temporary cable from old consumer unit location to new consumer unit location for over a year, before the unlooping finally done, it may have been longer, whole house had been rewired with the change in supply point in mind, moving the CU out of the kitchen, I began to wonder if it would ever get done.

 

[Tigercubrider]

No expert but I suspect they would mole the route, involving a few holes along the way.

I doubt that they would agree to provide a second route officially although they might be bribable when on site?

 

[reds42]

I'd think a lot would depend on which house the incoming feed runs to first.

When I had the loop from my house to nextdoor removed the DNO left my house being fed by the original incoming cable which ran under my driveway and just disconnected the cable running from my house to nextdoor.

I was the first house in the loop so there was no need for a new supply cable for me. Nextdoor had to have a trench dug and a new cable run from the street.

 

[SUNRAY]

I'm finding they tend to dig a hole and joint the existing cables rather than loop at the cutout

 

[JohnD]

Some photos of the meter, and the cables going into the incomer block, and going through the wall and/or into the ground, would probably give enough clues for an informed guess.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Some photos of the meter, and the cables going into the incomer block, and going through the wall and/or into the ground, would probably give enough clues for an informed guess.

We’d probably need a pic of the neighbours incoming supply. The loop could be at either property.

 

[JohnW2]

We’d probably need a pic of the neighbours incoming supply. The loop could be at either property.

True, but presumably only if the pic of the OPs supply didn't show the 'loop' ?

In fact, IF one were certain that there was a supply looped between the two properties (whichever way around), then a pic of just one of the supplies would be sufficient, wouldn't it?

Kind Regards, John

 

[Taylortwocities]

True, but presumably only if the pic of the OPs supply didn't show the 'loop' ?

In fact, IF one were certain that there was a supply looped between the two properties (whichever way around), then a pic of just one of the supplies would be sufficient, wouldn't it?

Kind Regards, John

Yes. You obviously have much more time than me to consider every possible angle.

 

[JohnW2]

Yes. You obviously have much more time than me to consider every possible angle.

You could put it like that. I'd prefer to say that I do not have as much time as you to take (or ask for) two pics when one may well suffice

Kind Regards, John

 

[JohnD]

Yes. You obviously have much more time than me to consider every possible angle.

Didn't take me long to think of it.

 

[MeldrewsMate]

We’d probably need a pic of the neighbours incoming supply. The loop could be at either property.

So it may be that the neighbour has two cables visible at his consumer unit, because my dad certainly has only one...and he's 200 miles away (and very old) so there won't be any photos for the foreseeable.
And it could also be that the joint is sub-surface, with no clue at either meter.

His meeting with the DNO is at the end of Sept; I'm planning to be there.
MM

 

[Taylortwocities]

So it may be that the neighbour has two cables visible at his consumer unit, because my dad certainly has only one...and he's 200 miles away (and very old) so there won't be any photos for the foreseeable.
And it could also be that the joint is sub-surface, with no clue at either meter.

His meeting with the DNO is at the end of Sept; I'm planning to be there.
MM

The looped cables cables will be at the supply head, before the service fuse. Not at the consumer unit. You'll see two cables entering the service head at the bottom. See pic below.

The loop is normally carried out like this, although sometimes it is done underground.