Cut through Main cable to house, Big bill Recieved Advice Greatly Appreciated

[00jona]

Please help, I have recently block paved my front garden, I had dug down and removed the soil and was just breaking up bricks that I had found with a small hand held drill/ breaker when you guessed it I got a flash as the chisel went through the brick and into the ground. I dug down to find a black mains cable, this was not mine as I had already taken the time to find mine previously. it was to next doors who's power was still on. I called out western power straight away who came out and got a team out to fix the cable that night. several months later I have been hit with a £1000 bill (ouch). I wish to dispute this on the following grounds and would like to know if I am in my rights too. firstly I was shocked that the cable was only 380mm below ground level (is this ok under a lawn?) the cable had no tape above it or any kind of conduit or sheathing around it like my cable has. when they repaired it they also dug down another 8 inches or more and buried it deeper. if the level was ok in the first place my argument is why did they do this. I do have photo's with the tape clearly showing the depth from ground level. do I have any grounds to dispute this bill? surely I could have just as easily have hit this planting a shrub, also where the cable meets the kerb it was only 300mm from the surface. thanks in advance for any advice fighting the big guys. Matt

 

[Guest111]

Not really,the onus is on you to make sure there are no cables in the area where you are working,you were very lucky not to have been killed or seriously injured by hitting the cable.

 

[00jona]

Not really,the onus is on you to make sure there are no cables in the area where you are working,you were very lucky not to have been killed or seriously injured by hitting the cable.

thanks for the reply, is there not a required depth a cable should be or any kind of warning tape or protection required though? the house was only built 1995 so not that old? thanks

 

[driverman]

Yes. complain, don't pay. Cable not deep enough on the face of it. Do you know when cable installed? Possibly when houses built. Do you receive payment from the DNO for 3rd party cable on your land? Has any landscaping taken place whereby top soil has been removed which in turn will make the cable not so deep. Good that you have photos Did the DNO take any photos on exposed damaged cable? They usually do with a white maker board to indicate the depth of the cable. Generally a 1 Phase u/g cable should be 450mm deep.
Go onto their web-site..bit of searching for their cable installation codes of practice.

 

[00jona]

Thanks for replying, the house was built in 1995 and would have been laid then, forgive my ignorance not sure what DNO means? no soil has ever been removed before I did this time, the guys who came out did take photo's and wrote on the board the depth and said he thought I should not be charged, hence the shock of being so. would there guidance be relevant now compared with when the house was built? I know they can change things? thanks again

 

[00jona]

thanks, I would assume the cable went in between 1990 -1995 when the houses were built. I am not aware off any payment for the cable running through my land, should they pay me? or could it have been ok'd by the builders before sale? the garden could not have been any higher before I removed soil, its all open plan and level with the kerb and next doors drive. they did take photo's with the white board indicating the depth as well. this is why I was so shocked to receive the bill. the technician who came out said he thought it would be unfair to be billed. do you think they have admitted it was not deep enough by digging deeper down? thanks

 

[Rockingit]

In the first instance you need to write to them stating your reasons as to why you won't be paying their bill as you dispute it. It's then up to them to decide whether or not they would stand a chance of winning against that in small claims. My guess is that they won't even bother.

 

[Engineer54]

I would always dispute any bill issued by a DNO, they almost expect it!!

So how many months are you calling several?? Were you informed in writing that the costs of repairing this cable would be to your account at the time of repair??

A reasonable depth of unprotected DNO cable according to their own specification data is 450mm, but that cable route should still of been provided with both protective cable tiles and warning tape along it's entire route!! By the sound of it, this cable complied with none of the above, so at the very least you should be looking for a substantial reduction in their demand, and at best, have the demand retracted due to their cable laying procedure failures....

 

[00jona]

it happened on the 13/8/14 and I received the bill Friday last week. they didn't say I would have the pay or not at the time but it must be repaired. if you receive this could you respond back as I have posted back on all the comments but don't seem to be able to see them or know that I have done so any way. thanks again.

 

[Knobhead]

Please help, I have recently block paved my front garden, I had dug down and removed the soil and was just breaking up bricks that I had found with a small hand held drill/ breaker when you guessed it I got a flash as the chisel went through the brick and into the ground. I dug down to find a black mains cable, this was not mine as I had already taken the time to find mine previously. it was to next doors who's power was still on. I called out western power straight away who came out and got a team out to fix the cable that night. several months later I have been hit with a £1000 bill (ouch). I wish to dispute this on the following grounds and would like to know if I am in my rights too. firstly I was shocked that the cable was only 380mm below ground level (is this ok under a lawn?) the cable had no tape above it or any kind of conduit or sheathing around it like my cable has. when they repaired it they also dug down another 8 inches or more and buried it deeper. if the level was ok in the first place my argument is why did they do this. I do have photo's with the tape clearly showing the depth from ground level. do I have any grounds to dispute this bill? surely I could have just as easily have hit this planting a shrub, also where the cable meets the kerb it was only 300mm from the surface. thanks in advance for any advice fighting the big guys. Matt

The bricks wouldn’t just happen to have an apex along the top and the words “electric cable” moulded in them would they?

What area of Nottingham are you in?

 

[UNG]

Would agree with Phil I know of plenty of estates close to where I live where the cables are buried at spade depth (250 - 300mm deep ) and installed long before any standard depth was probably set as Tony has said the bricks were probably the protection as back in the day the yellow danger tape was a future development. Although it is next doors cable crossing your land you will find that other services to your property may cross his.


Driverman I have only ever heard of a DNO making wayleave payments for overhead supplies where the DNO need access for the maintenance of poles and pole mounted equipment. If wayleaves and payment were needed for underground services then you could see the costs to the electric, gas, water and drainage companies increasing and the nightmare of apportioning payouts and the mountain of legal paperwork

 

[00jona]

No it's a newish estate 1995 ish. It's all back fill old pig sty breeze blocks etc.

 

[Knobhead]

They still have to obtain wayleaves & easements for crossing land belonging to a third party. If the house was a part of a block of houses being built then the developer wouldn’t block the rights.

 

[00jona]

Sorry forgot I'm in Rainworth. Western power. Thanks

 

[UNG]

They still have to obtain wayleaves & easements for crossing land belonging to a third party. If the house was a part of a block of houses being built then the developer wouldn’t block the rights.

I agree but there would normally be no annual payment made for them as Driverman suggests