EV Charger installation : BEWARE Looped supply - what are they , cost and time to correct

Discovering your house is connected to a looped supply can delay an EV charger installation by months. In this video, we explore how to identify a looped electricity supply, the process of being unlooped and cost implications.

===============================
00:00 Delayed EV charger installation - Looped supply
00:40 Understanding your properties electricity supply
01:26 What is a looped electricity supply?
03:30 Why EV chargers cant be connected to a looped supply
04:10 Real examples of looped electricity supplies
06:00 How are electricity supplies unlooped?
07:00 This can affect neighbouring properties
08:10 Cost of unlooping electricity supply
09:05 Timescale to unloop electricity supply
09:46 Choose installer wisely to help with the process.
10:12 Share your unlooping experiences
================================

Low-cost EV charging with Agile Octopus

================================
More videos in this EV installation series

================================
Are you an EV charger installer - check out these great services

EV Comply
Manage your installs, paperwork and win sales leads

Replenishh
Everything you need to install EV chargers and more!
================================
📍SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHANNEL eFIXX helps electricians, electrical contractors, building services engineers, and electrical apprentices. Watching our videos, you'll discover new products, explore new applications and find answers to your technical questions. So if you've been on the tools for years or just starting your electrical journey, we'll help you stay up to date with the latest regulations and developments in the electrical industry.
================================
📺 CATCH UP ON THE LATEST VIDEOS
📺 ELECTRICIANS' TOOL REVIEW
================================
🔴 eFIXX LIVE Join us for our youtube live stream twice a month - features product sneak peeks, challenges, giveaways and live electrical banter.
NEXT STREAM HERE
Catch up on previous episodes
================================
================================
================================
📩 eFIXX NEWSLETTER Sign up to find out about our live events, competitions and product giveaways.
================================
FOLLOW US on your favourite social networks for behind the scenes action, breaking news and competitions.
==================================
❌ This content on this channel is for electrical professionals.❌ ==================================
📹 Presented by
Gary Hayers - Editor eFIXX
Gordon Routledge CEng MIET - Technology Editor eFIXX
===================================

#efixx #evcharging

[ianbastin]

I received a fantastic service from my DNO. My looped supply missed by my EV charger installer but he was very concerned about the earthing. The loop was on the outside of the property and I identified it for myself and approached Western Power Distribution. I have to say they were absolutely fantastic. I had an appointment within a few days to review the situation. Within 2-days of that I received a drawing of the proposal and a date which was possibly 4 or 5 weeks after (I can't remember without checking). My neighbour was involved in the process and was happy to join in. WPD turned up on the day they promised and did the work. 60amp looped supply became a 100amp dedicated supply with PME. The cost from Western Power Distribution, FREE!
EV charger now installed and up and running.

[davidsoulsby]

A few points from the DNO point of view.
Having 2 cables into the service position means you have a direct service but your neighbour is looped (branched) from you. One cable means nothing in most cases.
Large detached houses are unlikely to be looped.
Semi detached are almost sure to have one of them looped, probably under the floor. in this case look at yours and your neighbour and if you have 2 and he has one then it IS looped, or visa versa.
Even some new properties can be looped, in this case look for the box's that directly face each other, maybe across a path down the side of the house.
Terraced houses can be looped in 2, 3, 4, 5 adjacent properties, often the main service into the middle and loops going either side.
If i had to say how many are looped or looped from, I would say the majority, over 70% and most likely with attached houses.
Quick history of why... to dig a hole, a trench and run cable to a property with one breeches joint would have taken a min of two days and cost X pounds.
Thats per property, but loop one and you get 2 done in practically the same timescale and the loop costs a tenth of the cost of a full joint and trench.

[mykehoole]

While you’re waiting for your charger to be installed you can still use the 13amp charger.
It will only give you about 10 miles range per hour of charging but if you only average 100 miles per day you will easily keep your ev battery full every morning.

[danclark]

"This form is not built for humans to fill in, it needs an electrician" - brilliant

[brianwood]

Got to admit, i have never come across a looped supply. Very informative today, thanks guys.

[marcs]

I'm hooked on your videos!!
Im an electrician of 30 plus years in the US. Looped supplies. Thats crazy!!
There's so much you do in your country that I would love in this country. But your " wiring methods" would never fly here.

[haldo]

I work for a DNO and we are manic with unlooping jobs infact I've got 2 to do tomorrow and yes it's not easy if you don't get on with your neighbours

[mermer]

I had my supply unlooped from my neighbours by Electricity North West for free. Both me and my neighbour were going to redo our drives, and I could see how the future is EV and thought it best to get any groundworks for supply cables out the way first so submitted EV charger install paperwork. Thankfully I get on with my neighbours as they were the ones needing the most work doing. The original supply cable came into my house, then fed next door. I kept the original cable, and next door had a new independant supply cable run in. There was a bit of negotiation with the DNO in relation to next door. Their cutout was inside the hallway, and the suggested plan was to move it to an outside cabinet. Neighbours were adamant they wanted new supply run to the existing indoor location and DNO thankfully relented and agreed to run it to the existing location. Just a point on the charger notification form - whilst it may be an electrician filling it in, if you read the small print its the householder who is ultimately the one held responsible for the information submitted.

[duch]

Moving into my current home 3 yrs ago, I was boarding out the loft space and wondered why I had a cable running through the loft, checked out the meter and its next doors feed on a looped supply. I suppose the only consolation is that the loops on my side so I don't have to worry about digging up my driveway. Let's hope my neighbor needs an EV charger installing first.

[njwareing]

Great video, great comments, good to note that if you have only one supply cable it doesn't mean it is a dedicated supply it may be the end of the run of a looped supply.

[skellerns]

My EV charger was installed, but my supply was the first in a chain of 2 other properties being fed from the overhead cable that feeds my house with T's on each property off it. They replaced the cable with a 3 phase cable along my eaves, and each house was now fed off each phase. For free! Also each house can now easily have a 3 phase supply as the 3 phase cable runs to the end of the row of houses, with a drop off each phase.

[sjcsystems]

I’m in exactly this position. I had no idea until this morning when Western Power fitted my 100A cut out. But they went ahead and are handling everything for free. Brilliant service.

[JJ-SH]

I was unlooped about 6 months ago - terraced house with cables overhead. I filled out the form - no need for an electrician at all, emailed it to Western Power and they did the work three weeks later for free. It was in fact my neighbour that had to unlooped from me, so apart from removing the cable from my fuse block, all the work was next door and Western Power did all the arranging of times and access with my neighbour for me too - once I submitted the form, I did not a thing! Excellent service from Western Power.

[neilsewell]

Had our house unlooped whilst renovating it 3 years ago with superb service from Northern Powergrid all for £833. Neighbours were great too despite having their garden being dug up(They admit it looks better now!) Now I need an EV charger so should be plain sailing 👍

[ashleybit]

Really interesting video. When I had my original EV charger installed I had my fuse upgraded. Everyone involved at this point completely missed the fact that we were looped to our neighbour. Our chargers ended up failing so we decided to upgrade along with purchasing a new car at it was when this new charger was being installed that they noticed we weren’t looped. Thankfully after a number of phone calls and emails. We managed to get the DNO to sort it. All for free. Just felt bad for my neighbour who’s drive was well and truly ruined.

[grahamek]

Complete tangent, but one that comes to mind. I own a house with a looped supply. The phase comes into my property and a set of tails disappear into the neighbours (semi detached). The neighbour has solar panels and during the day, when I work from home, my average consumption is around 0.8kW. From around 8am til 4pm the solar system next door generates > 2kW and their house uses little as the house is vacant during the day. I clamped the main incomer one day at 1pm and found a 7.6A flow. My CU tail was flowing 3.3A. Line voltage was 229V. That means the neighbour was exporting 0.99kW outside of our property. Meanwhile, I pay full whack per unit, and they get paid less than half.

Exporting energy only serves the supply company. They charge you on the way in, and the way out. The moral of this story is if you have solar or generate your own power, store it. Buy batteries. Do not export it, it's a scam.

[MartynDews]

Interesting and informative video. I had an EV charger installed over 3 years ago when we got our EV and we discovered that we are on a looped supply. Fortunately we're number 1 of 2, (DNO confirmed that each semi has a looped supply.

So as far as I know, I'm OK but I did let my neighbour know at the time that he would have to think about this at some point. This video has prompted me to remind him.

[paulypyro]

finally we have our electricity supply unlooped by Western Power, our Octopus smart meter fitted, and our pod point charger fitted, and all this after only starting the process in March !! We have learned so much from this that we could write a book, but got there in the end and car merrily charging away as we speak, so anyone thinking of going down the EV route, please do your homework on your supply and if it is looped or not, and ensure your smart meter will fit into the space vacated by the old one (Western Power had to move the new supply to allow more room for the bigger smart meter). Good homework will save you many headaches in the long run !!

[davidlove]

It was and probably still is common practice to loop supplies, 35mm into the cutout with a 25mm running round to next door. It had nothing to do with cost cutting, just the way the network was designed. I worked for the DNO from 1988 until 2007 and installed most domestic supply cables this way.

[liberatodelgreco]

Interesting video.
The only comment I will make is that the majority of households pay a monthly Standing charge, so they have already paid for upgrade to their supplies.