Unexplained power cuts to sockets.

[Bobby Doff]

I would like to know if anyone else out there has encountered the very strange phenomenon i'm currently trying to deal with.
The RCD on my 1990s bungalow recently began to trip-out my wall sockets at all hours of the day and night. my first thought was that I probably had a fault in either the freezer or the fridge, but it sometimes happened while the vacuum cleaner was being used.
But here's the really odd thing - our next door neighbour has had 'middle-of-the-night' power cuts to his wall sockets at exactly the same times as us.
I'm not an electrician, but I am struggling to believe this is even possible.
Any thoughts, please?

 

[littlespark]

Could be a loose connection on the underground supply cable… losing a neutral maybe? Or a surge on the line?

There’s been a lot of work on the distribution nerwork recently with storms… is this rcd tripping a recent problem with you?

 

[Bobby Doff]

Could be a loose connection on the underground supply cable… losing a neutral maybe? Or a surge on the line?

There’s been a lot of work on the distribution nerwork recently with storms… is this rcd tripping a recent problem with you?

Thanks for that.
It started last december and for several weeks it only happened when we used the vacuum cleaner. More recently, the vacuum doesn't make it trip-out but we've been unable to locate the cause. Wouldn't the lighting cut out as well as the wall sockets if it was a loose connection on the underground supply?

 

[James]

it is a rare one but I had a similar fault a few years ago.
turned out to be a N to E fault that was difficult to find.
when a lawn mower was used in one house, the next door rcd tripped.
the house that had the issue with rcd called me in and I found the fault, I believe there was a similar fault next door and it caused parallel paths for the N current and hence tripped the rcd.

next door would not allow me to come in and do any testing so it has to remain a theory as I could not confirm the fault next door.

 

[Bobby Doff]

it is a rare one but I had a similar fault a few years ago.
turned out to be a N to E fault that was difficult to find.
when a lawn mower was used in one house, the next door rcd tripped.
the house that had the issue with rcd called me in and I found the fault, I believe there was a similar fault next door and it caused parallel paths for the N current and hence tripped the rcd.

next door would not allow me to come in and do any testing so it has to remain a theory as I could not confirm the fault next door.

Oh! That has sparked a bit of a 'light-bulb' moment - next door recently got an electric car, including all the attendant aditional wiring for the charge point.
I reckon that could have a lot to do with my RCD issue.
Thanks.