Moving overhead electricity supply underground

[J4MES99]

Hi,

Looking for some advice if possible, I’ve bought a bungalow in a rural situation and unlike any other houses I’ve owned the mains electricity is fed to the house via a wooden pole in the neighbours front garden and an over head cable that connects to the facia board.

The cable I think is covered in a black plastic or safety coating by the looks of it but it’s very close to the ground as it approaches the bungalow, I’d say under 2.5m above ground at the point it joins the facia. There is also a large ash tree in the corner of the garden close to the pole and the wire runs through the branches Which I assume I’ll need to get cut back for safety reasons.

Ideally I’d like to get the supply wire buried underground and routed to the house that way. Has anyone any experience of how to go about this and any idea of costs? The house is within UK Power Networks supply area. There are two cables from the pole, one for my electric and the other for another neighbour that’s attached to me, they both join the same junction.

Also on a personal note should I be concerned about the wire being so close? Are overhead supplies dangerous?

Any advice or opinions would be really appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[J4MES99]

Close up of the cable viewed from the bedroom window.

9D8AD7F5-7D67-478F-B192-BE57D75076E2

• J4MES99
• 29 Jul 2018

Wires coming down and attaching to the bungalow

C3B201BE-4044-4A5D-8838-0D7279CDB1B8

• J4MES99
• 29 Jul 2018

 

[aptsys]

Other than it looking rubbish, there's no real reason to move it.

Cost is only a question the supplier can answer. Expect several thousand minimum.

 

[ericmark]

Even when the supplier has been paid to move the cables it can take a long time. Where I use to work they were going to build a new building, this would be too close to the 3.3 kV lines, so they paid for the lines to be moved, however then the project was shelved, some 10 years latter again they decided they needed a new building, and they would need a new supply, so the guy from the electric board turned up, and first comment was those 3.3 kV lines will need moving, lucky guy with me had been there 10 years previous and pointed out they had already paid for lines to be moved. As it transpired again building was shelved, and 15 years after they have been paid to move the lines, they are still in same position.

Low voltage lines are no different, my son wanted lines moving off his wall, he also paid to get them moved, and installed an external meter cupboard ready for the move, including moving the consumer unit and putting in a temporary supply from old consumer unit to new one, he has been waiting around 4 years. Again he is in no hurry, he has a load more work to get on with.

The other problem is when they do move the cables they will likely want your electrician on site, they will only work on their bit, and if that means the incomer is not close enough to connect, they will not connect, I have sat in my car many times waiting for the DNO to arrive when my son was a sole trader, and some of the objections were really silly.

They said we should have put a pipe through the foundations when the property was built ready for the supply cables, it was built in 12th century and the builders at the time had no idea we would want electric cables into the building. This is why often cables are not buried, when the electric what brought to area there were already buildings and roads so aerial cables were only way.

You can ask the DNO to move the cables, but you will need deep pockets and need to be ready for a long wait.

 

[bernardgreen]

As mentioned the cost may be a few thousands.

My new supply to this cottage was quoted at £3000 in 2011 but the final cost was £900.

The reduction was achieved by digging the trench myself and, at the suggestion of the surveyor, making the trench a couple of metres longer so the connection to the street cable could be made under a grass verge and not under the driveway. A duct was installed and the trench backfilled. The cable was then pulled in by DNO

If the neighbour in whose garden the post agrees to you ( or some one you employ ) digging a trench that ends close to the base of the post then your costs may be a lot less than if the DNO dig the trench(es).