Guide to connecting power to your new home

There are a number of things to consider when connecting your new home to the electricity network. You will need to contact your local electricity supply company to arrange the installation of a service line from your new home to the nearest power line.

Power connection: The first steps

Whichever supplier you choose to connect with will probably need to liaise with your builder and/or electrician to establish your power needs so you will need to:

• Contact the electrician for advice on your needs and type of connection
• Get quotes from the electricity companies that service your area
• Ask questions. Find out what needs to be done to connect your home
• Contact the electricity company and find out what you need to do in order to arrange for connection

Your electrician will usually issue a "First Notice" to the power company, advising that electrical work is to commence at the site and at completion of the work will issue a "Final Notice".

The electricity company may wish to do a safety inspection of the property during construction so ensure that your property number is clearly visible from the street. This number is the one that would have been quoted on the First Notice.

Final steps in power connection

Once the homeowner has accepted the quote from the electricity company and if the powerlines run by the property, connection should take place over 10 -20 days depending on the company. Should the network have to be extended to the property however, or if the network needs upgrading, connection time could be around 10 - 12 weeks depending on what needs to be done. But whichever the case, the homeowner will be advised in advance of what applies to their situation.