Dear Users
I've stumbled across this forum in search of guidance about an dilemma I have regarding old electrical equipment inside my property. After months of talking to UKPN and hours of searching the web I can describe the situation as follows.
I've owned for around 15 years a commercial property which was constructed circa 1950s-60s. It's a single corner-end premises adjoining a set of 8 identical properties. At the time of construction, a metal-clad cut out was installed at the rear of this property and connected to a busbar chamber which supplies neigbouring properties. Over the years these neigbours have had significant building works and some have since had a new supply installed from another mains cable. I myself have a different incoming supply/cut out and do not need this equipment at all. I've left it untouched for years but now need the space it occupies (it's inside a chamber around 1m2 in size). UKPN have been to check the cut out and confirmed it's live. Recently I've had a friend open the busbar chamber and confirm their is one live 3-phase supply, but I'm unsure who it's going to because as it pre-dates UKPN their plans do not have recent records of this.
I contacted UKPN early this year and have had different conclusions since. At first, they told me they will remove the cut out because I am not using, and at their cost. Then I was told they have to establish if neigbhouring properties use it, which they were confused about for a while but eventually concluded they cannot be sure without testing. The latest they've told me is that the installation falls into what's known as a Building Network Operator arrangment i.e. they own the cut out but everything past that they are not interested in. I am confused about this for two reasons: (1) UKPN own standards define a BNO as that of a "Multi-Occupancy Building". I don't share a building with anyone. My neigbhouring properties are separate premises, albeit they may have been owned/managed by one party at the time they were built. (2) The equipment is very old and potentially a safety hazard. I also do not use the power coming through it. Are they saying I am responsible for my neighbours electricity supply?.
I've had informal chats with one neighbour and asked if I could look at his meter/incoming supply. It looks equally old, and the incoming supply appears to have the same metal conduit that exits the chamber in my property. I believe it's his supply but he's indicated he isn''t interested in any work/cost of removing/re-routing if it's confirmed to be his.
UKPN want to charge me hundreds to visit and switch of the main fuse to establish who, if anybody, uses this electricity (there is no isolator inside the busbar). I am reluctant to pay. If it remains there, I can't go ahead with planned internal building works in my premises, but worse still I am stuck with the risk of this thing degrading even more and maybe one day catching fire.
I'm not sure how to progress with this and would welcome any advice anybody has to offer. Apologies for the long-winded post. It's partly for my benefit too as I continue to make sense of it all.... I'll try to figure out how to attach photos here if I can.
