3 phase help please

[lost-sole]

My mate has just taken over a a small garage that's attached to a shop. At the moment the supply to the garage is fed from the shop but the tenant in the shop won't switch it on because he will get billed. The shop has a 3 phase supply and a big 3 phase board. At the moment there's only a single phase feed to the garage but ideally we would like to start again and get a 3 phase supply to the garage for the equipment they want to use. The owner of the building has said we can take a supply from the shop as long as we have our meter. My thoughts are to run a 3 phase armoured from the existing shop 3 phase board, install a meter in the garage then a new 3 phase board fed from this new meter. Is this ok to do? Or would have to pay £3000 to united utilities to run a 3 phase supply in. If we put a new meter in do we just phone a company like British gas a register it as a new property. It's a similar scenario to splitting one property into flats. I hope I've explained everything. Ps there's no chance of over drawing the main fuse as the shop doesn't really use much and the garage won't really use much just a 3 phase wood cutter and lighting etc.

 

[telectrix]

it's all down to whether the shop owner will accept you coming off his meter to fit your own ( landlords) meter and then pay him for your usage. better off to have a separate supply of your own to avoid conflict.

 

[lost-sole]

What do you suggest?

 

[telectrix]

get DNO to supply 3 phase . then what you do in the garage is not subject to 3rd party involvement. initial cost may be high, but if your mate is intending to be there long term, it's a better option. that is unless the shop owner is a decent bloke and will be happy to sub your supply through a separate meter. but that means your mate will have to pay him for the leccy, rather than have his own billing.

 

[Darkwood]

Too many unknowns here .... who is the shop owner are they just tenants?
Have you weighed up whether both units can run off one supply?
What kind of loads will the garage be using and do they have equipment that may cause issues like transients on the local network?
Whats access like in case front end trips ... is this going to be an access issue and hence costly to the garage if they can't get in?

Its always better to have an independent supply for many reasons as Tel as already implied and thats what i would also recommend .... £3k is costs to the customer not you and sounds very reasonable considering what it can cost sometimes.

 

[Engineer54]

You could if convienient to both parties, ask the DNO to provide a separate metered supply off the existing DNO's service head. As been stated, much depends on many other factors not least access issues, as has been outlined by Darkwood....

 

[electricden]

Recently done this for my workshop, Just make sure you detail what each agree to and get it signed by the landlord. I've bee running like this for 3 month and no issues with bills Etc.

 

[gnuuser]

best advice i can give as well is to get the DNO to put in a separate supply.
higher cost I know but better in the long run for both

 

[driverman]

You could if convienient to both parties, ask the DNO to provide a separate metered supply off the existing DNO's service head. As been stated, much depends on many other factors not least access issues, as has been outlined by Darkwood....

I doubt very much that the DNO will allow an additional 3 phase meter off an existing service cable head. Best way forward is separate 3 phase supply. Get a quote from the DNO

 

[7029 dave]

Get the DNO out to check the 3 phase cut out , is suitable for your demands, if okay call energy supplier out to convert to 3phase meter, you could then fit your own 3phase sub meter if that's the way you want to go.

 

[nadger]

Separate supply definitely, I'm not saying this from an electrical point of view, more from a "best for everyone" point.

I did some work at a small industrial/commercial site that included a petrol station fed from the 3phase supply in the adjacent MOT & servicing garage. For years the whole site was owned and ran by the one guy, but as he got older he began to rent out the various buildings to different people. Anyway the guys now running the MOT garage took exception to the petrol tankers that came to fill up the for court tanks parking in front of their car parking and access, the arguments between the MOT guys and the forecourt guys got quite nasty and in the end the petrol station would suffer from sudden power failures. Yes you guessed it, the MOT lads were knocking off the sub feed to the forecourt.

In the end the DNO were paid to put a new direct feed to the petrol station.

I'd never allow any business of mine to be at the mercy of anyone else after seeing what went on here

 

[guest119]

Check the terms of the rental.
Does it mention all services?
IE water, drainage, leccy?
DNO supply would surely be landlords responsibility?

Boydy