Frequently asked questions

General connection questions
Solar power
Unmetered connections
Generation and storage
Flexible connections
Quote costs also known as Connection Offer Expenses
Upgrade or reduce your supply

General connection questions

Your electricity supplier is the company you choose to buy your electricity from, and who you pay your bills to. If you’ve recently moved house or you’re about to move into a new property you may be wondering who supplies the electricity and who the electricity bills are paid too. Use our online tool to find your supplier.

Check who supplies electricity at your property by clicking below.

Who is my supplier?

The cost of a connection or meter move depends on the size, scale and location of the proposed works.

The size of the connection will dictate the level of work required on site and preparation ahead of the work starting (i.e. permits and consents that are chargeable).

Location also plays a significant role, particularly if you are planning to connect in an urban area or in a remote, rural area again where our network may be operating at a maximum capacity. In these areas your connection may be the trigger for network reinforcement, and a proportion of these costs will be attributed to your quotation.

One to four property connections prices

We’ll provide you with a detailed quote, along with a comprehensive construction and customer works plan. This will include all the necessary specification documents for your project. Look at the tables below to see how much the average price is for single phase, multi-plot and three phase as guidance only.

The Common Connection Charging Methodology (CCCM) is a framework used in the energy industry, particularly in electricity distribution, to determine how connection charges are calculated for customers connecting to the distribution network. Connection charges are fees paid by customers to cover the costs associated with connecting their premises to the electricity distribution network. CCCM plays a crucial role in ensuring fairness, transparency, and efficiency in the process of connecting customers to electricity distribution networks.

CCCM and Connection Charging Statement approved by the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority ("the Authority"), explains the options available and process to be followed for obtaining a connection. For more information about CCCM visit Common Charging Methodology (enwl.co.uk)

Moving your electricity supply prices

The cost for each job can vary significantly and your quote will be tailored to your needs. We will always find the cheapest option for you and can visit site if necessary. Factors to consider when moving your meter:

• If you have chosen to do your own excavation work, you may need to hire a builder to dig out the trench.
• You will need an electrician to connect your internal electrics to the new meter position.
• Do you have a front garden or does your property lead directly onto the public highway? If public highway, then we will need permits to do this work and it will take a little longer to complete.

Look at the table below to see how much the average price is as guidance only.

Small scale quotations include:
• Excavation, replacement of ground materials and resurfacing
• Installation of cable and service termination
• Local authority permits for traffic management, road closures and land rights and consents

Business or commercial scale quotations also include:
• Design and assessment fees (our time spent to produce your quotation)
• Pass through statement of works costs
• Site survey costs
• Reinforcement costs
• Equipment costs.

Upon receipt of the Post Installation commissioning documentation via your installer, we will provide you with an export MPAN / permission to generate in parallel with our network; DNO confirmation. It is important to note, these are dealt with on an individual basis and usually actioned by our admin support teams who are contactable on the below email addresses.

Businessdeliverysouth@enwl.co.uk - Anything South of Skelmersdale.
BusinessConnectionsPreston@enwl.co.uk - Everything North of Skelmersdale up to LA5.
ConDC-Carlisle@enwl.co.uk - Everything beyond LA5 and on the border to Scotland.

The time it takes to complete a connection depends on the size, scale and location of the connection you’re looking to do. We work to industry performance standards (Guaranteed Standards of Performance) that set the target timescales we work to for all new connections.

There are a number of factors that can also impact on lead times for completing a connection after you’ve accepted and arranged payment. These could include:

Land consents- landowners permission may be required to access third party land
Traffic management
Local council permits
Impact on other customers- if your connection requires an outage or shutdown that will affect other customers
Engineering complexities- if your connection is located in an area with engineering difficulties and complexities
Other consents- some connections may require consents from other bodies such as the National Trust and Environment Agency

We want to make your new connection as easy as possible and on average a new connection will take six to eight weeks from when you are site ready but there are a few factors out of our hands that you might not be aware of

Depending on the work required you may need to hire and coordinate a few trades people yourself. For example, this could be a private electrician for your internal electrics or your supplier to fit your electricity meter.

If your new connection requires working in the highway, we’ll arrange the traffic management and the permit with the local council but it’s important to note that it can take a little longer than six weeks for the permit to be approved.

Land owner permissions may be required to enter third party land, other connections may require consents from National Trusts or Environment agencies etc.

Large scale connections may require reinforcement works which may have limitations such as works being carried out in summer months which may impact your project.

Extra High Voltage (EHV) connections will take longer than Low Voltage and High Voltage projects due to complexity and additional load required.

Read our Guaranteed Standards of Performance

For customers requesting domestic connection services, we can arrange staged payments where the connection offer is greater than £20,000 (excluding VAT). Where the cost is lower than £20,000 we can consider staged payments but generally they would only be granted in exceptional circumstances.

Staged payments:

Staggered in a way that ensures that we are able to cover the costs of design and connection work before it's completed
Assessment and design charges are non-refundable costs to cover our checks on the network before your connection is complete. Wayleave and legal charges also cover checks and land owner negotiations, which are non-refundable should you cancel

Commercial connections:

Charges for plan items are influenced by your build programme, which you will need to share with us when you apply alongside the manufacturer's payment schedule
Staged payment milestones are negotiated when the quotation is accepted
Acceptance costs are fixed
All costs are subject to VAT

For domestic customers, there are no acceptance charges to pay. However, all other connection customers will need to pay an acceptance charge.

Acceptance charges cover the costs for our network design and assessment work, as well as the work we need to do immediately after you’ve accepted to plan in the connection.

Your acceptance cost could vary depending on how many applications we receive and how many customers accept our quotations. At times when we produce lots of quotations but only a small proportion accepts them, the costs may be high. However, when we produce fewer quotations and a greater proportion accepts them, the acceptance cost will be lower.

Our quotations are free to request; we don’t charge for the assessment and design studies needed to produce a quotation. Therefore, our costs for producing quotations are spread across all customers who accept a quotation.

For commercial projects, your initial acceptance charge will also include costs for us to undertake preparatory work (but not the physical works) such as cable route planning and marking, liaison with third parties to secure land consents (and other permissions if appropriate).

If you are planning any building work or developments, then you will need to know about the location of our cables, overhead lines or any other electrical equipment located near to where you will be working.

BeforeUDig allows you to request copies of our electricity network plans online and receive them by email from our geographic information system. This means you will have access to our information, 24 hours a day.

For more information please visit our Line search before you dig page.

Access network asset viewer

For a small scale connections (i.e. 1-4 properties or a single connection under 60kVA) we typically offer a site visit before we provide you with a quote, to make sure we understand your requirements. We offer additional site visits once the quote has been accepted.

For business connections (five or more properties or a single connection over 60kVA) we usually only carry out site visits after you’ve accepted, to check the site is ready for our contractors to start on site.

For commercial connection schemes, we typically always carry out a site visit following acceptance. Our site visits for Extra High Voltage projects are also to check that the site, or sites are ready to begin work. We may carryout additional site visits during planned stages of the project. Our contractors woudn't usually begin work until the site has been checked first.

Yes, we recommend when determining the location of your electrical equipment you consider the surface type which will require reinstating. Extra costs for specialist surfaces such as granite, block paving will be included in your quote, so if this type of surface can be avoided this will help to minimise the cost of your connection.

Failed appointments can significantly impact the cost to deliver and you are likely to incur charges if our team arrive on site and are unable to complete the work as agree due to access issues. We encourage early conversation with your designer to ensure that we have made good provision for access on the day of civils / jointing work.

We can often redirect our resource if you have your own delays onsite so early notification if you are not going to be ready on the date agreed will help to reduce the risk of failed appointment costs.

Reinstatement guidance

All street works ((i.e. excavation and reinstatement) are subject to the New Roads and Street Works Act (NRSWA). Standards of work are also regulated via the Specification for Reinstatement of Openings in Highways (SROH).

SROH dictates the quality of work, specifically how to excavate, the backfill materials allowed, methods permitted as well as standards of appearance and performance for all reinstatements. Once completed, the NRSWA then applies a guarantee of satisfactory performance of that reinstatement for a minimum of two years.

These standards apply to all parties completing street works, including us and Independent Connection Providers (ICPs).

All work is inspected by the local authority and if found to be sub-standard, then those completing the work are subject to a financial penalty and will return to site to correct the defects at their cost, within a pre-defined time period.

The process

We agree any planned street works with the relevant street authority (local authority or council) in advance.

Before we start planning work we apply to the street authority, providing details of the works, how it will be carried out and when work is planned to start and complete.

The street authority then approves or declines our permit application. Once permission is granted, the permit is valid until the works are complete.

Responsibilities

Our responsibilities are clearly stated in the NRSWA. We recommend all of our unmetered other customers (i.e. power supplies to street advertisements, CCTV, telecommunications equipment etc.) to familiarise themselves with this document.

Here are our essential guidelines to getting your site ready

Work restriction dates from local authorities

Whilst we endeavour to have your connection in place and ready to use within six to eight weeks of the site being approved, over the festive period local authorities place restrictions on when we can carry out work, which can delay your completion date, more information on our Christmas embargo dates will be available by the end of October.

Use the correct duct specification

Electricity North West specification duct is always red and embossed 'Danger Electricity Cables', with no exceptions and should follow what is in our pack. To view click here

Ensure your duct is laid at the correct depth & prepared properly

Duct should be laid in accordance to the specification provided; with a minimum of 450mm from the top of the duct to the top of the finished surface, with marker tape sitting on top of 100mm soil covering the duct, it also needs to be 300mm apart from other utilities. The full specifications come with our construction packs.

Make sure you source the correct meter box & hockey stick

We can supply your meter box and hockey stick at trade prices. We will even deliver free of charge, please let your planner know if you would like us to do this. If you would prefer to source this yourself our approved supplier is Jewsons. The meter box it should be between 500mm and 800mm from the bottom of the box to the finished ground level.

The section of ducting that connects the outside viewing cabinet to the ducting in the ground we call a ‘hockey stick’. The hockey stick must be white and installed on the left hand side, the red elbow of the hockey stick should not show above ground level. To view click here

Book your meter installation with your chosen supplier

At Electricity North West our job to get you connected safely and as quickly as possible. We don’t sell electricity or fit you with a meter, this will be your chosen electricity supplier. We will provide the Meter Number (MPAN) that you need to book your meter appointment to get it installed. A full guide to metering is included in our construction pack. We need the right information firstly to be able to create your Meter Point Administration Number, once we have that we send you the number separately and it will reach you within 5 working days.

4-6 Weeks from payment

Once you have paid for your quotation, our construction co-ordinator will come to see you to plan the work. Following this visit we will plan to have everything in place to complete the work, on the date we agree. You and / or your electrician will need to be on site for the work to be completed. On average this takes around 4 weeks from payment to complete the work if your site is ready.

Moving your electricity supply prices

Look at the table below to see how much the average price is as guidance only.

Here are our essential guidelines to getting your site ready

Firstly, if you are moving your electrical meter less than 1m in distance then check that your supplier is able to do this for you, this can save you money or sometimes if it is very small distance the service can come at no cost. Click here to find out your supplier

Hire an electrician

As part of the work involved you will need to hire an electrician, he will be able to make any changes to the meter cables for you and connect the meter back to your internal electrics.

Hire a builder

You will only need to do this if you have chosen to do your own excavation work at your property. If you have paid for us to do the work for you then we will arrange that with you.

If you are installing new electrical equipment at your property you may need to increase the size of your supply. Domestic properties have a standard supply of up to 20kW - this is a single phase supply.

If you require an electricity supply over 20kW, you may need to apply for an amp increase or an increase from a single phase to a three phase supply. please visit our 1-4 properties page where you can find the relevant application form and contact information.

1-4 properties

We understand that sometimes customers require an increased security of supply. Whilst we endeavour to keep supplies operating without interruption there are periods where it is sometimes necessary to curtail supplies or, where is cannot be avoided, supplies may be temperately disconnected. Customers can opt to request a greater security of supply as part of our connections processes. For existing supplies with connection agreements the terms of your security of supply can be found within your connection agreement. In order to modify the terms of the agreement it is generally necessary to carry out a connections study to determine the impacts of the change to the network. These changes may require some additional works and so may incur costs, and there may be restrictions on when the changes can be made, depending upon the scale of any network constraints identified.

If you would like to speak to us about modifying your existing connection please contact: connectionapplications@enwl.co.uk.

Solar power

In order to assess this, we would require a completed application form along with the schematic [Single Line Diagram] detailing the current installation configuration and the additional amount of capacity required. Your Installer / electrician can help determine what additional capacity is required. Please note that this application isn’t chargeable for installations under 1MW, however you may be subject to charges from your installer.

Unmetered connections

Generation and storage

Please visit Generation connections to identify which application for to use.

For a single property up to 3.68kW single phase / or 11.6kW for three phase please use G98 Form B
For a multiple premises, each up to 3.68kW single phase / or 11.6kW for three phase please use G98 Form A
For applications above 3.68kW up to 50kW please use G99 Form A1.1
For applications above 50kW, please use the Standard Application Form (SAF)

Flexible connections

A flexible connection is defined as one that has constraints associated with the terms of connection. These constraints may relate to time limits or system abnormalities.

Flexible connections can offer an enduring solution for accommodating a new connection without the need to reinforce our network, but they can also be used temporarily whilst awaiting the completion of the network changes necessary to allow unconstrained operation.

System Normal Connection - A system normal connection is disconnected or constrained when there is a First Circuit Outage affecting the circuit dedicated to supplying the customer or the local Distribution System. This connection could be managed either remotely or via an intertripping scheme.

Export Limited Connection - A connection where the installed generation equipment has a greater export capability than that which has been agreed to be exported onto the Electricity North West distribution system.

We are in the process of implementing our new Network Management System which will allow us to offer the following additional flexible connection options:

Timed Connection - A connection arrangement where connection capacity is subject to restrictions within specific time periods.

Import Limited Connection - A connection where the installed equipment has a greater import capability than that which has been agreed to be imported from the Electricity North West distribution system.

Active Network Management - Use of control systems to modify import and/or export in line with previous agreed limits.

If you accept a flexible connection offer, your asset may be constrained up to an agreed limit under certain conditions, ie when the network is operating ‘abnormally’. The conditions of the constraint and level of constraint will be set out in your offer letter.

To progress with an alternative connection offer, you will need to make sure you are able to control your asset in response to the constraint conditions within your offer.

How do I switch from a flexible connection to a firm connection or increase my security of supply?

We understand that flexible connections are not suitable for all customers’ requirements and that sometimes people may want to adjust the terms of their agreements. In the majority of cases a flexible connection will have been offered in order to prevent network reinforcement or at the request of the original applicant. In order to modify the terms of the agreement it is generally necessary to carry out a connections study to determine the impacts of the change to the network. These changes may incur costs and there may be restrictions on when the changes can be made, depending upon the scale of any network constraints identified.

If you would like to speak to us about modifying your existing connection please contact: connectionapplications@enwl.co.uk.

Maximum demand (MD) is the maximum amount of power drawn from the network at any one time during a billing period. Your MD should not exceed the agreed MIC value - and if it does - excess capacity charges are applied.

These charges are passed from Electricity North West to your supplier and are reflected in your monthly electricity bill.

The full set of charges per connection voltage can be found on our current charging information page.

Click here

Quote costs also known as Connection Offer Expenses

There are no acceptance charges for domestic connections (connections to 1-4 propertied or a single connection under 60kVA).

Customers requesting business and larger scale connections are required to pay an acceptance charge.

This is a bespoke cost for each connection; depending on the project design and assessment, the cost is fixed to cover the works to produce the quotation and to cover the costs for the next steps.

Our quote's charges include the costs to produce the quote and are in accordance with regulatory requirements and in line with industry levels.

The charge includes the following: -

Cost of all budget estimates issued
Cost of all Gen+ initial assessments, excluding the initial charge
Cost of all quotes that are accepted
Cost of all quotes that are declined

All costs associated with issuing quotes are recovered through the quote's charges: part recovered from the initial £2,000-£5,000 charge and the outstanding amount on acceptance.

The quote we provide is conditional on the invoice being paid in full within 30 days. If the charge is not paid within 30 days, the quotation will become invalid. You will still be liable for the charge and if you need to apply again you will need to pay an additional charge for another quote.

If you don’t pay for three quotes, in addition to paying the outstanding balance, we will require payment in advance for any further quotes.

Distribution Network Operators (DNO’s), including Electricity North West are legally obliged to provide a quote on request, and in doing we incur costs. These typically include the costs of assessing and modelling the electricity network, designing the connection and any wider network works as well as undertaking surveys, site visits, drawing plans, accommodation and equipment amongst other things.

We won't charge you for the following: -

• Budget estimates
• Minor connections (1-4)
• Cancellations within cooling off period
• Offers for service alterations or diversions

We will charge you for the following: -

• Extra High Voltage offers (demand & generation)
• High Voltage offers over 1mw/1MVA
• Requotes including interactivity requotes
• Cancellations (after cooling off period)
• Gen+ initial assessments

Unfortunately, the opportunity to apply for funding closed in May 2022. Payments were previously available to incentivise early compliance however now that the mandatory compliance deadline has passed, any costs associated with the necessary changes must now be covered by the generator owner.

The total cost of making the changes will depend on the amount of work required and at the discretion of your chosen contractor.

By becoming compliant you will make your generation more reliable. This will mean it is less likely to trip off, ensuring more consistent generation and a steadier income stream. More widely, by becoming compliant you will help strengthen the electricity network – this will help deliver cost savings to consumers and will also embed the network with more resilience, meaning that more renewable electricity can be brought online, helping us meet the UK’s low carbon ambitions.

Sites should ensure that they maintain a safe system of work and always ensure generators are disconnected and fully isolated when carrying out work on or directly adjacent to electrical equipment within the site.

It is believed that in the majority of situations it is highly unlikely that the changes to protection settings will create any additional safety risks. In some very rare cases; following the loss of network in feed to a site, a generator can continue to inadvertently generate until such time as the protection settings have been exceeded. Due to the protection settings being relaxed there is a marginal increase in probability of this occurring. This is generally only the case where the local demand and generation are evenly matched and where the generating unit is synchronous (i.e. not solar panels or batteries).

If you have read the sections above and you are still not sure, then this is a good time to get in touch with our team. In some cases, we do have some limited records of what your installer will have told us was installed; due to the volume and age of some of the connections this information is not always available or up to date with what is actually onsite. We can also offer dedicated technical support expertise should you need this.

Upgrade or reduce your supply

For import capacities up to 300kVA: You can apply for an additional load by filling out our online application form or download a pdf application form here and return to connectionapplications@enwl.co.uk. *Select Additional load to an existing supply in the Type of supply section of the form.

For import capacities over 300kVA You can apply for an additional load by filling out our online application form or download a pdf application form here and return to connectionapplications@enwl.co.uk. *Select Additional load to an existing supply in the Type of supply section of the form.

Alternatively if you have received a letter from flexible.contracts, please complete the attached form and submit it to MPANLiaison@enwl.co.uk.

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Frequently asked questions