We had a visit this week from an engineer from Northern Power Grid to look at the solution (or solutions) to the supply of 3 phase electricity to the property.  It turns out to be easier than we thought.

The pole that is carrying the current single phase supply is also a 3 phase supply too.  Now the engineer has pointed it out, I can see the transformer on a pole in one of the fields across the valley.  It is this that is providing the 3 phase supply.

He now has enough information to provide us with a quote.  This is the final piece of the jigsaw before we can place the order for the ground source heat pump – there was little point in installing one if it was going to cost £10K to install a 3 phase supply.

As it turns out, it looks as if the 3 phase supply, and the alterations to the single phase supply, (assuming that we dig the trenches) is around £2K.  But we will have to wait for official confirmation.

It is cheaper and makes more sense for us to dig the trenches as we will have a machine on site to dig the foundations for the extension as part of Phase 2.

It looks as if we are going to need a 3 phase electricity supply due to the load that the ground source heat pump is going to put on the electricity supply.  The calculations have been done by NuHeat (the ground source heat pump supplier) and it has been recommended that we use a 24Kw unit.  It is possible to use two smaller units, each running on a single phase supply, but using a single unit is both cheaper and takes up less space.

So the challenge now is to get a 3 phase supply to the property. This is arranged through Northern Power Grid (www.northernpowergrid.co.uk) who provide the supply rather than E.on or EDF who you might actually provide you with a bill.  I filled in an application form online to request the supply.  There were quite a few questions that I needed help from the heat pump supplier to answer.  But with a few exchanges of emails, it was all sorted.  Once the request is submitted, it takes around 5 weeks to get a quote for the work.

In discussions with Richard the builder it turns out that it might be a good idea to get the single phase supplies altered too.  Currently, the electricity supply comes in via a pole and then a couple of cables attached to the outside of the property.  The supply then runs along the front of the property to two separate electricity meters – 0ne in number 8 and one in number 10.  The obvious thing to do is to remove one of the meters and then move the remaining meter to the new utility room (yet to be built) and in the process bring the cable from the pole underground to the utility room.  This removes the need for an ugly electricity cable across the front of the property.

I rang Northern Power Grid to see what I need to do to get the single phase supply moved.  As luck would have it, it appears that I already put in a request for one of the electric meters to be removed on the application form of the 3 phase supply.  It appears that I had forgotten about it (blame my age).  Anyway, the request for the 3 phase supply, disconnecting one of the single phase meters and putting the cables underground has now been added to a single job request.

This is a major result as it simplifies a number of requests into one.  Nice one Northern Power Grid!

There are two gas meters attached to the front of the property – one for number 10, the other for number 8.  These need to be removed before the outside of the property can be sand blasted, furthermore the gas supply needs to be cut off entirely if the concrete at the front of the building is going to be removed.

Both of the gas supplies are turned off at the meter and the gas pipe is capped off inside the building (just in case someone opens up the meter box and turns the gas back on).  British Gas supply gas to number 10, EDF are the supplier for number 8.  A quick call to British Gas a month or so ago sorted out removing the meter – due to happen on 17th June.  EDF work in a different way and asked for a local gas fitter to remove the meter and for us to then ring them and they will come and collect it.  So far so go.

Capping off the gas supply to the property isn’t quite so simple, although it should only mean digging a hole in the drive (and not the main road).  I was told that Transco are responsible for this, but this is not the case.  You need to contact your local gas transporter.  To find out who this is ring 0870 160 0229 and provide your postcode or have a look at this map.

A quick call to Northern Gas Networks (0845 057 0605) got the ball rolling and I got a call back later in the afternoon to say that the planners had had a look at the maps and the estimated cost would be around £800 and could probably be completed in about 8 weeks time.  More expensive and more time.  Hopefully, this is not going to hold up any of the building work. 

There is a separate charge for reconnecting the gas later on.  This can take 10-12 weeks so needs to be planned well in advance.