Re-routing mains cable due to extension

[scottrb]

Hello

As part of a house extension we have to move the electricity meter from the back of the house to the front. Although a bit frustrating there is no alternative as we'll be knocking a big hole in the wall where the current meter is and the policies state we need to move it to a place where it can be accessed.

Our current mains cable goes under our house to our meter and onwards to our next door neighbours and it should be a fairly straightforward piece of work for our builder and sparkies to expose the cable at the front of the house and link it to the new meter, remove the old meter and re-establish the supply to next door.

However the the EON contractor has stipulated that we cannot use the current cable under the house and instead need to connect the meter at the front as indicated above and then lay new cabling outside the front of our property across next doors property to the side of the house where their meter is.

Other than the additional cost to me our neighbours are less than pleased that we'll need to dig a trench across their garden and drive way through to their meter and are understandibly kicking up a fuss.

I am currently challenging this requirement but would be interested if anyone has any knowledge of this scenario and whether they are aware of any standards that require this as i'm concerned that it isn't needed.

Thanks for your help

Scott

 

[westie101]

To put it in simple terms.
It is not your cable, it is the property of Eon, any work on it will have to be up to modern specs (as does any wiring in the house) and carried out by them or their contractor.

It is quite common for cables under houses (especially after civil works) to go faulty which leads to even more problems rying to replace them (yes we have dug concrete floors up in houses after electricians/builders decided to do their own thing)

As for the specs they will be Eon's specs written to conform with all the legislation that governs the Electricity Industry

 

[OwainDIYer]

electricity suppliers no longer accept cables feeding one house going through or under another - it causes problems with access for repairs, wayleaves etc.

It is possible to drop the current meter to below floor level, if you're removing the wall it's on?

 

[mike528]

electricity suppliers no longer accept cables feeding one house going through or under another - it causes problems with access for repairs, wayleaves etc.

It is possible to drop the current meter to below floor level, if you're removing the wall it's on?

they will allow the neighbors cable to route though your garden, if this house is a semi or detached the supplier will allow you to put a ducting round your house to your new meter position and one to a point to joint the neighbours, electricity suppliers have just paid me to have 5 very large conifer roots took out to put next doors cable onto my land to save the neighbours landscaped garden?