New House, No supply to garage

[monkeyhanger]

Just after some brief advice having never worked on a newbuild estate-

A friend has just bought a house (Bellway), the house is end terrace. The setup is this-
(Their House)(Next door)(First floor flat, with 3 garages underneath).

The three garages underneath the first floor flat are as follows-
(Middle houses garage)(Flats garage)(Friends garage)

They werent shown in the garage that belongs to their house when viewing their house, but the other garages which had an electricity supply, being next door to the house they belong to or underneath the flat they belong to.

My mates house is the far left, and the garage that belongs to their house is at the far right. The builders have told them they can't have a supply to their garage as the cable would need to pass through the house next doors property, then underneath the first floor flats drive, to reach it.

Where would they stand if they demand bellway install a supply but bring it to the pavement outside their property along to their drive and underneath that up to their garage, going around the boundary of the neighbours properties? The pavement currently isn't a finished pavement and the rest of the houses down the street are still just a shell.

Bellway have suggested that they would get another supply installed feeding only the garage, however I've advised the mate to accept that as a last resort as they would have two standing charges to pay.

 

[Octopus]

I guess it will all come down to the description of the house they bought. If this doesn't include power in the garage then its up to them to accept that.

Running a cable across the adjacent house then along the walls of other peoples garages is going to be problematic - so maybe a torch and batteries is the answer!

 

[sean_ork]

Tell them you've got an EV

 

[ruston]

It may depend on why they were taken to the other two garages and what was said or inferred by the sales people.
it seems strange that they were not given a view of their garage. Was it an attempt to mislead?

 

[hightower]

Sounds to me like the architect was high at the time. What a crazy setup

 

[ruston]

Sounds to me like the architect was high at the time. What a crazy setup

Two out of three does seem a clanger.

I bet the lights were on too when they were shown around.

 

[monkeyhanger]

Thanks for response. They do appear to have been misled, and as far as I know they have (just) been offered a seperate supply (additional cut out and meter) & internal wiring to the garage 'free' by the developer.

Surely though that would incur an additional standing charge.. forever, for whoever owns the left hand, end terrace?

Obviously anything above ground is out of the question. Is there a reason the developer couldnt' take a supply underneath the front garden to the pavement, under the pavement then back up the drive of their garage?
Can't ask neighbours permission to go underneath their garden and drive, then underneath the drive belonging to the first floor flat, it seems this should be something the builder should solve

To be honest I haven't seen such a setup before!

 

[ruston]

Thanks for response. They do appear to have been misled, and as far as I know they have (just) been offered a seperate supply (additional cut out and meter) & internal wiring to the garage 'free' by the developer.

Surely though that would incur an additiona forever, for whoever owns the left hand, end terrace?
l standing charge..
Obviously anything above ground is out of the question. Is there a reason the developer couldnt' take a supply underneath the front garden to the pavement, under the pavement then back up the drive of their garage?
Can't ask neighbours permission to go underneath their garden and drive, then underneath the drive belonging to the first floor flat, it seems this should be something the builder should solve

To be honest I haven't seen such a setup before!

That is possible. Maybe Bellway intend to pay that . It does look as though they are going to carry the can.

 

[monkeyhanger]

Is this a common or known of arrangement? Or would it be complicated in changing electricity supplier in the future (or maybe impossible to transfer the arrangement)?

 

[ruston]

It looks like a cock up to me .

 

[rolyberkin]

The part about two standing charges is not correct, you can get a tariff with no standing charge but a higher KWH cost, if they are only using the garage power for lights and power for the odd power tool it will probably make negligible difference, this would be different if they were going to run a freezer etc in there.

I had a similar arrangement at a previous house and had a meter in a garage in the block used to cost me about £2 a year if that! The utility company have to charge a standing charge but they can set this to zero in any case so if your friend spoke to their proposed supplier they would probably be able to arrange this and get both billed on the same agreement/contract.

 

[ruston]

The part about two standing charges is not correct, you can get a tariff with no standing charge but a higher KWH cost, if they are only using the garage power for lights and power for the odd power tool it will probably make negligible difference, this would be different if they were going to run a freezer etc in there.

I had a similar arrangement at a previous house and had a meter in a garage in the block used to cost me about £2 a year if that! The utility company have to charge a standing charge but they can set this to zero in any case so if your friend spoke to their proposed supplier they would probably be able to arrange this and get both billed on the same agreement/contract.

Have a look at this link I had to pay by D/D to get this reduced on an empty house.

https://customerservices.npower.com...2LzEvdGltZS8xNDU0NzgxNjk0L3NpZC9mWUMqUnBJbQ==

 

[rolyberkin]

Yes exactly what I said, every supplier has to charge a standing charge due to regulations however believe me this can be zero! see https://ebico.org.uk/energy-plans-homepage/

Anyway, who buys their electricity from npower, it's like going to Harrods to buy your baked beans!

 

[rolyberkin]

https://www.simplyswitch.com/energy/guides/standing-charges-on-energy-plans/#pc2

 

[ruston]

Thank's , I will look into that on Monday.
I did try a few at the time ,but they were all singing from the same sheet.

 

[monkeyhanger]

I found a similar topic on another forum. The garage in this topic (newbuild) was down the end of the garden, & over a communal path. The garage was part of a block of 3 garages with a flat above. The advice given on that forum was-
"
You need to act NOW and fast before the development is finished

First you need to negotiate with the builder or land owner for him to grant you a right of servitude for you to run a cable under all and any land needed to get from your house to the garage. Get your solicitor involved in that, and make it a condition of the house purchase that such rights are included."

Unfortunately, the house next door to my mate has completed. The flat remains unsold.
I wonder if its too late!

 

[rolyberkin]

I found a similar topic on another forum. The garage in this topic (newbuild) was down the end of the garden, & over a communal path. The garage was part of a block of 3 garages with a flat above. The advice given on that forum was-
"
You need to act NOW and fast before the development is finished

First you need to negotiate with the builder or land owner for him to grant you a right of servitude for you to run a cable under all and any land needed to get from your house to the garage. Get your solicitor involved in that, and make it a condition of the house purchase that such rights are included."

Unfortunately, the house next door to my mate has completed. The flat remains unsold.
I wonder if its too late!

Is this is Scotland as a right of servitude is Scottish law, the problem is with crossing peoples land is that they need to give permission it isn't a given that they have to. In the UK I think it is called an easement or way leave, my nephew had a similar issue where he had a cable going through his roof to serve another property. He didn't want it there and withdrew the permission and got it moved.

This generally is a nightmare legal issue and the concept of running cable through someone elses' house is a non starter IMHO, probably one the developer is not going to be that worried about solving either due to the legal costs involved. If your friend can get the ebico zero rated standing charge supply and a bit of compensation it will be the path of least resistance!

The developer can't just run a cable along the footpath if it is going to be an adopted road so it will have to be a supplier making a connection to the supply and a different cutout.