Electric suppliers cutting fences down - anyone experienced?

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PandorasJar

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We have had an electric company cut through one of our fences to fell some trees (not on our land). We had no notice given and we've not been informed afterwards. One of our trees is down (on our side of fence line with no rights) and the fence has clearly been cut through as easier to access to turn around in than where they have access (through someone else's land).
We have gone today to find a post pulled up, 3 short new bits of wire wrapped round to connect the two cut ends of wire (twisted together and all three strands pinned at a height the horses could easily step over) and one of those strands has come loose (tack left behind). The rest of the fence line was like a washing line.
Now I've had a water company cut open a gate padlock and fencing (wrong field) on the farm and there was lots of advice for complaints and procedures. There seems to be no info on electric companies procedures for informing of access and works carried out or complaining of anything other than payments that I can find on the phone.

So before I start wading through the customer 'help'line. Has anyone had the same sort of problems and got any advice/links to where I can find out their policies?

First problem will be finding out which leccy company has been doing the work... But that's after we've finished the (long) day we've had today putting a new bloody fence up!
 
I have trees that had to be trimmed on my land every 3 years, the contractor comes out and agrees the work, you sign a permission slip and then about 2 months later they come an do the work but it is booked in advance as I need to move my ponies. The suppliers for the lines are usually one of the big companies like n-power or eon, and they pay the contractors.
 
Ditto Honetpot. We get taken through a questionaire and permission paperwork. On the say we move the animals and the contractors move the electric fence for access.

They are always careful, always polite and always call back at the house to discuss if they have to run in to the following day

Customer service lines often arent livestock savvy so i would approach it from a procedural angle and ask to see their written process for this sort of work - there will be one 100%
 
Prior to the power company's contractors gaining access to any land the landowners permission is required and a form has to be completed. Check with the landowner first. If this has not been done then the power company and contractors are in big trouble. They most certainly should not be taking fencing down when their is livestock in the fields nor would a sensible landowner give them permission to do so.
 
I didn't have anyone cutting fences but I used to rent from an estate and they let southern electric park a load of vans outside my field whilst they were changing power lines in the village, then they opened my gate and drove in the field with about 6 vans, whilst it was raining over a few days, never asked me if it was okay, so the horses could have got out and they completely trashed the gate way, mud was really deep all winter!

Good luck getting things sorted, hope your landlords are better than mine where
 
If there is an emergency and they cannot locate the landowner or occupier, they don't really have any option but to enter without permission and take the consequences. But they should minimise the damage and then pay for what damage they cause. Do they upset one farmer or thousands of customers?

Having said that, they are definitely accountable for their actions. The water main used to go through my farm and it was regularly bursting (old pipe). For a long time I let them in for nothing, then they left gates open, etc., and upset me. So I started billing them. They will grumble but if your claim is fair, they will pay up. One time they didn't. There was another burst and they wanted in again, but I refused! That put the cat amongst the pigeons big time!

You need to find out who the company is and contact their land agency department. Bill them for repairing the fencing, moving stock, telephone calls, your time, use of vehicle, hired labour, any cultivations require to repair damage, in fact everything and anything that compensation will put right. They expect you to do this and will be amused if you don't! Just make sure you can back your claims up with facts. If the damage is substantial, you might suggest getting someone in to value it but they will have to pay the valuer's fees too!
 
Some good advice on here. I would add that there are often very old wayleaves which run with the land - may be worth checking the deeds of your property invade they do have a right of access which you have fenced over? If not, you will be able to claim compensation.
 
I think you’ve been unlucky. We had both a wayleave agreement for a pole in our houses’ garden for which we got paid when we bought the property (£25 I think some 25 years ago) and that entitled them to call and shut off or repair the line as and when required. Sometimes we were in, and sometimes we weren’t, but we never had any significant damage.
Our rented fields at the time had several overhead power lines each with a significant undergrowth of bushes and birch. Every so often the CEGB, which was in charge of all English power lines, flew over and determined whether these needed cutting back to within 9” of the ground. If they did they collected the key from the landlords’ estate office and let themselves in but generally after a phone call to us, as tenants, asking us to restrict where the horses could roam that day (since the horses were prone to “helping”) . They never approached the neighbours’ land via our fields but drove the 3 or 4 miles round to the other side. On second thoughts that may have been due to the fact that the Tank Regiment were the occupants that side!
Once the CEGB knew we rented the land they provided us with an office based team leaders tel number in case of problems and once or twice they sent a rep to talk to us about proposed works. Once the work was finished they generally left us with neatly piled logs from the birch to mature as firewood and heaps of mulch to dispose of to use or trade out to the neighbours
 
Not 100% sure about Electric companies but Water Companies have the right to access for Emergency Repairs, if not an emergency they have to issue either a 7 day or 42 day notice of requirement to access. They should contact the Landowner / Tenant to arrange access, they should minimise damage and restore the land as best as possible.
If damage is caused then you can make a claim for losses, restoration and disturbance. The disturbance normally covers your time in sorting out the claim with them, so you should write down all the time you spend chasing them. You should also take photos etc.
I would suggest phone, email or letter informing them of the damage caused by them / their contractors, and how much you are looking for by way of compensation. Ask them to get back to you within 14 days or you will be looking to escalate your claim via OfWat, Solicitor and or Land Agent and that they will then incur additional costs.
 
In emergencys they have the right to enter at any time with out notice .
At other time they must give notice ( and that can be a grey area if you are not the landowner) and if they should make good anything they do.
We had an issue some years ago where they came onto the land to work on a transformer without permission ( not an emergency ) took a crane into a small field of Youngstock and caused mayhem .
We now never allow them anywhere unless we are present they visit us and confirm in writing what we have agreed.
Tree cutting contractors keep getting changed and some are better than others.
I would complain they should come and make good the damage.
 
We have southern electric and in my experience they never ask permission or advise us they are coming. They have recently done work seperately in two fields at different times. The first we knew in one field was when review stickers were updated but secondly we saw two landrovers in the field with the horses , no notice nothing . Luckily the field Is 19 acres and the horses could move away. About 4 yrs ago we were told they'd be back to lop a tree that would shortly encroach on a line but that's never happened.

I think the problem is that all this work is sub contracted out with little or no supervision and too few staff for the volume if work and thus waiting for owners permission takes too long.
 
SOuthern Electric in our case have been good and have been bad. They cut a chain to gain access. They didn't knock on the house next door or our house (beyond that) - we were all in, and unfortunately cut it just a link to short to be easy to re-fasten, you have to jiggle it and the weight of the chain makes it impossible to re-fasten without taking 10 minutes to get the links exactly lined up. Annoyingly it is such a thick, expensive chain I'm sure it must've taken them several minutes to hack through it, would have taken far less time to knock on the door of the house a mere 20ft away and find out how to open it.


The other time they came down the road and surveyed the trees, knocked and asked who owned for access, they then cut back/cut down all the trees they needed to AND stacked the logs, all cut neatly to same size, on our side of the fence.

Agree is down to the subcontractors.
 
On our farm Network Power regularly come to trim trees but they always seek permission first. The one time a junction box was on fire they cut the lock and replaced it for us.
 
For some reason I keep getting booted off on phone and computer won't load hh up.
Thanks Jules that's great, will start there. Thanks to all others too! Yes I have photos (thankfully horses were on other side of the 35acres and a field of fern wasn't an appealing escape route!)
They have rights (through an unlocked gate less than 5m to the right of where they cut) but that's for water, pylon painting, emergencies etc.
What's annoying is they've cut through from where they were (not our land) into our land purely to turn vehicles round rather than reverse them back out. It is a large area and I could've turned any vehicle in the plot they had access to. Pure laziness.

Had huge problems on another plot of land with Thames water (quoted 3day job took just under 3years. Cut open a field they had no access to, to park vehicles and let livestock out onto a dual carriageway, pumped raw sewage into the river and ended up with ea involved along with lots of other problems). But as I said, complaints procedure and compensation was easy to figure out. This not so. Jules link is fab and now to get cracking on with a moan!

Thanks all.
 
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