Site electricity during replacement build

[SelfBuilder101]

Hi all. We've had permission for a new build house and detached workshop. The house overlaps slightly with a bungalow that we need to demolish. For the demolition notice we need to say what we'll do about services. Water is easy as we'll disconnect the bungalow and setup a stand pipe. Electricity is trickier as the meter is in the bungalow fed by an overhead supply.

We want electricity for the building works. It's looking pretty expensive (~£1000 [1]) to set up a temporary meter for during the build. What options am I not thinking of. We want to build the workshop first, but it will be more cost effective to demolish and pour both foundations at the same time.

It could be cheaper for me to get the electricity disconnected and give my neighbour £500 to run a wire off his electricity. That's an imposition though.

Stupid question, but can we leave the wall that the meter and overhead wire feeds into still standing and build a shed over it? I can't imaging building control being happy with that let alone the demolition company.

What is normally done for electricity on a building site?


[1] http://www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk/in...need+to+move+your+overhead+power+supply-1.pdf

 

[flameport]

What is normally done for electricity on a building site?

What you have already had a quote for - a temporary supply installed in a cabinet in a suitable location, probably at the edge of the site away from the construction area.

can we leave the wall that the meter and overhead wire feeds into still standing and build a shed over it?

Not a chance. Overhead lines with heavy machinery, scaffolding and the like can only lead to injury and death.

Ultimately if you are building a house and already looking to save £500, you can't afford to build it.

 

[SelfBuilder101]

Thanks flameport. It's also the amount time it will take UK Power Networks to come and do the work which needs to be done before we can start the demolition.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

All part of the project planning which you need to do anyway.

 

[Lectrician]

£1000 is not a lot of money when building a house.....

 

[bernardgreen]

We want to build the workshop first,

Would the DNO accept an underground supply through a duct from their nearest pole to a location on your site ? If they will then you can trench and install a duct from the location you will have the meter to a point as close as you can get to the post. The DNO will advise you on which post and how close to go with the trench. Build a temporary housing for a meter box close to where the meter will be located. The cable is installed by the DNO from post to the temporary neter location. Important that the cable comes out of the ground where the wall of the building will be so that when the wall is built and the permanent meter box is installed the DNO can move the cable from the temporary meter location to the permanent location without having to extend the cable. Ensure the temporary meter location is placed where it will not impede building work and the cable is protected from damage during building work. The DNO engineers can disconnect the power at the top of their pole while they move the cable to the permanent location.

 

[Screech20]

The TBS usually has to go within a meter of the site boundary, but it depends on the site tech that views the job.

How far away is the nearest pole? Is it on your land?
You can cut cost by trenching up to the pole, laying the duct and putting up the temp meter box yourself.

will you be having the meter from the house moved to use in the TBS? If it's single rate, UKPN will move it but if if 2 rate you will need to arrange for your supplier to be there on the same day.

Where abouts are you?

 

[SelfBuilder101]

Thanks ban-all-sheds. Project planning is easy when you have done it before. What I really need is a copy of someone else's to see all the things I didn't realise I needed. The books I have turn out to be for armchair dreamers and only discuss the 'interesting' bits like what type of windows to have etc. They have had next to no information about demolition, site setup, septic systems... Which is all the stuff you have to do before you can even get started.

 

[SelfBuilder101]

Thanks bernardgreen. There is a 11kV transformer on a pole on the front left of the plot (looking from road) and then a ~10m wire to a pole also on our land. It then runs into the bungalow which is towards the front of the plot. The workshop is planned for the back left of the plot. Are you suggesting that I dig a trench to the workshop and make that the primary supply point (i.e. meter) and then the house comes off that?

 

[SelfBuilder101]

Thanks Screech20. There are two poles on our land, the 11kV transformer pole and a 240V pole as well. The 240V pole is within an area of trees that is to be fenced off as part of the tree protection plan so I guess a TBS at the bottom of that pole could make sense.

The meter is a pay as you go meter so single rate I think.

We're in Cambridgeshire.

 

[SelfBuilder101]

Thaks Lectrician

"£1000 is not a lot of money when building a house....."

No, but it is amazing how many £1000 things there are. If I can save on a few of those it will make the others less painful.

 

[bernardgreen]

Are you suggesting that I dig a trench to the workshop and make that the primary supply point (i.e. meter) and then the house comes off that?

That is roughly what we did in 1980 when we self built. We dug a 50 metre trench from boundary to an existing wooden shed where the meter was to be located. This supplied the caravan and the building site via two RCDs. The house was built and sub mains from the shed were then installed to supply the house. Later the shed was demolished and the section of wall with the meter attached and in service was moved a couple of feet and propped up to allow the brick garage to be built where the shed had been. A weather proof cover was added to protect the meter and CU. When the garages was finished the meter was moved by the DNO into a meter box in the garage wall.

 

[SelfBuilder101]

That's really helpful, thank you benardgreen. I was wondering about building a small brick box to house the meter perhaps long term and have submains off that.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Thanks ban-all-sheds. Project planning is easy when you have done it before. What I really need is a copy of someone else's to see all the things I didn't realise I needed. The books I have turn out to be for armchair dreamers and only discuss the 'interesting' bits like what type of windows to have etc. They have had next to no information about demolition, site setup, septic systems... Which is all the stuff you have to do before you can even get started.

I blame Kevin McCloud.

 

[winston1]

You can get a generator for less than £1000.