UK Main fuse bunched with other houses

[Pg1985]

Hi, wondered if anyone can help… just bought a new house and it has an alleyway between next door, in which I have found one main supply which branches off to 4 separate main fuses for mine and 3 other houses.

So it appears the side of my house has the fantastic benefit of managing the electricity supply of my 3 neighbours.

Is this normal and would there be anything the DNO can do to change it (if it even can be?).

This would mean that I have to allow access to electricians onto my property and to the cabinet for any fuse which doesn’t please me greatly!

Thanks in advance

 

[Lucien Nunes]

Others will know better that I, about how to persuade the DNO to unloop / upgrade / relocate service terminal equipment, but in the meantime I can't help noticing the leaking pitch which suggests it might be running warm. That is not surprising as it looks like an ordinary single-phase service with a rather optimistic busbar full of cutouts growing leftwards out of it.

If you persuaded them that it's possibly overheating and has pitch leaking out, they would probably react and replace it; but whether that job could be stretched into relocating it is another matter.

 

[Pg1985]

Thanks for the input. Would this come under asking them for “my own supply” or is the fact I have my own main fuse (from a shared incoming main feed) classed as separate?

 

[snowhead]

It's normal for older Ex Local Authority properties or properties originally built for a single Landlord or where it's overhead supplied and the cables run across multiple properties.

Yes you have to allow the DNO that owns that cable and fuses access to it, they have a statutory right of access.
If it's access for a routine visit they will give notice, if it's an emergency such as loss of power to neighbours supplied from there, then they don't have to give notice but I assume would at least knock on the door as a courtesy.

The problem in this case is not requesting a new supply for the property, it's requesting 3 new supplies for the other properties and disconnection of them from the existing supply.

It's quite likely you've also got common foul drains from other properties running through the land and owned by the Local Water company.

 

[timhoward]

I'm not an expert in property law / flying freeholds etc but I've wondered before in cases like this who actually owns the alleyway. Is it within the red square on the land registry report?

Anyway, as above, I'd just tell the DNO that the supply to your property is leaking black stuff. That is true and it will get them to turn up.
Then chat to the person who actually comes as they tend to be far more pragmatic than the people on the phone.
Please report back as this is an interesting one!

 

[Pg1985]

Yes the DNO I obviously have no issue with, but I’m fully aware that electricians can routinely pull main fuses as a way of isolating the consumer unit. And in fact, that would be the only way for my setup, as I have no isolation switch after the meter.

I think I’ll probably have to give up having this removed for the obvious but I might see if get it “redone”. Out of curiosity is that the earthing on the right?

Thanks