EDF are French owned - is this charge in Euros

[peter.sims]

Hello,
I've joined this forum just to find out if anyone else has been quoted anything like £590 to move their incoming electricity supply 400mm.
I'm doing a garage conversion and, to get the existing board and meter out of the garage have conveniently sited the new outside flush box directly above the route for the supply cable. Therefore EDF (my suppliers) have to come, dig a small hole, break into their cable, join and connect vertically 400mm to the new meter site. They will do a rough infill but will not reinstate the block paving (about 20 blocks). I must do everything else.
I boldly called them, talked to the rep and waited for the £300 quote thinking ''it's a lot, but what the hell'' When the £590 dropped on the mat I broke into a cold sweat which soon turned to anger.
I think this charge is tantamout to robbery and equates closely with the cowboy plumbers that prey on old ladies.
Do I have any choice and, if not, why are we exposed to this monopoly like this?
Any advice would be appreciated,
Cheers,
Peter

 

[supersparky]

sounds expensive but really isnt when you considder the job. you should have said that you would dig down to the cable and backfill.

they will joint it live, which means 2 jointers on site for 2/3 hours (they sometimes only send one but there not supposed to)
then you have the huge insurance on these guys because they work live

then you will have the team that will come out to find the cable for them + backfill
also you have all the office bods, like a dedicated HSE Team aswell as normal office people booking in the job

considder yourself lucky, im waiting on a job quote for a supply to be put in - 3 phase and were digging the trech and ducting it

im thinking it will be arround 2k

 

[Steve]

It sounds a lot, but these guys have to do this sort of work LIVE and they really have to be well trained and insured etc. To be honest, i dont think its that unreasonable. £300 is a good quote. £590 is getting a bit much, but I wouldn't say it was OTT.

 

[Moz]

peter.sims

as said here I dont think its that bad really !!!!

 

[peter.sims]

Thanks for the replies guys ... I suppose I was a bit hasty ...
I still think it's a bit much but do I have any other choice? The gas quote was £325 for the same type of job ..
I thought of getting a local contractor to do the job but someone told me that you can't touch the meter and the meter owners are the supplier and they are the only ones who can do it.... is this right?
Cheers,
Peter

 

[Spark123]

Yes, they the only ones allowed to work on their network.

 

[Slogger]

just do it whos going to know ???

 

[Moz]

peter.sims

DON'T try too do it yourself .....whatever slogger says .. he is the forum idiot ...

 

[Steve]

out of interest, how do the gas guys make a new connection? surely they dont work live??????

 

[Moz]

crafty1289
with the Gas service pipe they are usually plastic pipe an they are shut down at the tee piece on the gasmain in the street /road....

or they use a machine that squeezes the supply pipe flat, an then they use electrofusion welding (heating an melting the spigot end to the coupling )

 

[empip]

out of interest, how do the gas guys make a new connection? surely they dont work live??????

Did live work on my line into house from road replacing metal with plastic ... I recall the guy saying it depended on the type of main .. If I remember At certain locations known as offtakes, gas pressure is reduced from high to intermediate pressure, then it enters a network of pipes at various pressures, eventually reaching domestic premises at a relatively low pressure Our feed was from a low pressure main.

Operating Pressures

High Pressure - above 7 bar. High Quality Protective Steel Pipe

Intermediate Pressure - above 2 bar up to and including 7 bar.
Comprises 3,500 km of mostly steel mains but
High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) pipe has now
been developed and will forge forward in the 'new
lay' future.

Medium Pressure - above 75 mbar up to and including 2 bar.
Comprises some 31,000 km of mains of which
25%-30% is now Medium Density Polyethylene
(MDPE) pipe which generally replaced cast iron
mains from the early seventies onwards

Low Pressure - not exceeding 75 mbar.
By far the most extensive and oldest part of the
pipeline system and includes approximately
215,000 km of pipework underground, 50% - 55%
of which is still cast iron

 

[Moz]

empip
most of the gas network is low pressure , a few very rare med pressure with govenors down to low pressure...

the High Pressure are called "transmission lines"an they are never used for dom supply ...

I did learn something while at Gas school in hollinwood in between having a laugh an fixing multipoints ..lol

 

[Steve]

and how do they run pipe from the street to my house without digging a trench . . . ? magic

 

[Thermo]

they use a machine called a mole that literally tunnels it through to where they want (i think)

 

[Moz]

crafty1289
by mole lol ..no really lol
see here ...





http://www.idswater.com/water/europe/UKSTT/Auger_Boring_Pipe_Ramming/13_0/g_supplier_5.html