Building site electricity: builder's supplies, new connections and costs
Network operators' published guide prices put a new single-phase connection for one house at about £1,300 to £2,500, with work done around 4 to 8 weeks after you accept the quote. See who does what, what pushes the price up, how a temporary builder's supply works and the safety rules for site electrics.
- New connection, one house
- about £1,300–£2,500 (guide prices)
- Connection done
- about 4–8 weeks after you accept
- Quote for one property
- within 5 working days
- Power tools on site
- battery or 110 V
- 20 kVA generator hire
- about £200–£675 a week
Electrical and power connections suppliers
Search your site postcode to see who covers it, check their paperwork and contact them directly.
Getting power to a building site means a connection to the local electricity network, made by the network operator for your area (the DNO) or by an accredited independent connection provider (ICP). Then an electricity supplier fits a meter and an electrician wires the site. Network operators' published guide prices put a new single-phase connection for one house at about £1,300 to £2,500, completed around 4 to 8 weeks after you accept and pay. Long cable runs, road digging and new poles or transformers can push it much higher.
Who does what
Network operator (DNO)
Owns the local network, quotes for your connection and always energises it. Great Britain has 14 network areas, each with its own operator. In Northern Ireland it's NIE Networks.
Find yours by postcode on the Energy Networks Association website.
Independent connection provider (ICP)
An accredited contractor that can design and build the connection instead of the DNO, often alongside other site works. The DNO still connects and adopts the new cable.
Check its NERS accreditation covers your job.
Supplier and electrician
Your chosen electricity supplier fits the meter, using the supply number (MPAN) the DNO gives you. An electrician installs everything after the meter.
On site, that includes the temporary distribution board.
What a connection costs
Published guide prices from two network operators, and examples of what pushes the price up. Prices don't include digging on your own land, which you usually arrange yourself.
| What affects the price | Why |
|---|---|
| Distance to the network | Longer cable runs mean more trenching and cable. |
| Digging in the road | Road and pavement work costs more to do and reinstate, and brings council street works charges. |
| New poles or a transformer | Rural plots far from spare capacity may need new overhead equipment. |
| Land you don't own | Running cable across a neighbour's land needs their permission, which can add cost and time. |
Since 1 April 2023, customers asking for a new demand connection no longer pay a share of reinforcing the wider network upstream of their connection. You still pay for the connection itself and anything built only for you.
Temporary builder's supply
A builder's supply is a temporary connection so you can run tools, lights and welfare units while you build. The network operator, or an ICP, brings a cable to a lockable, weatherproof cabinet on site, and your supplier fits a meter inside it. UK Power Networks' guidance says the site installation is normally a TT earthing system, so it needs an RCD and its own earth electrode, wired to BS 7671. Once the building has its permanent supply, apply to have the temporary one taken away.
Prices are worked out for each site, so ask for a quote early. A builder's supply can often be planned so the same cable later serves the finished building.
How to get connected
- Find your network operatorSearch your postcode on the Energy Networks Association's "Find my network operator" tool. In Northern Ireland, contact NIE Networks.
- Apply for a quoteSend a site plan, where you want the supply, and the load you need. Under Ofgem's guaranteed standards, a DNO must quote within 5 working days for one property, or 15 working days for 2 to 4 homes, or pay you £20 for each working day it's late.
- Compare an ICP quoteAn accredited ICP can quote for the same work, and may be quicker if it's already on site.
- Accept, pay and prepare the routeDig the trench and lay ducting on your land to the operator's specification, and fit the meter cabinet.
- Connection and meterThe cable is laid and energised, the DNO issues an MPAN, and your supplier fits the meter.
The rules for site electrics
Competition in connections Ofgem
Contestable work, such as design, trenching, cable laying and reinstatement, can be done by the DNO, an ICP or an independent network operator (IDNO). The DNO keeps the non-contestable work, including connecting and energising the new assets on its network. Accredited ICPs can now set the point of connection and approve their own designs.
NERS accreditation LRQA
ICPs are accredited under the National Electricity Registration Scheme, run by LRQA for the network operators. Each certificate lists the work and voltage levels the firm is approved for, so check it matches your job.
110 V tools and site installations BS 7671
Section 704 of BS 7671 covers construction and demolition sites, and favours reduced low voltage (110 V centre-tapped to earth, 55 V to earth) for portable tools and site lighting. BS 7375 is the code of practice for distributing electricity on sites. HSE says battery tools are the safest choice.
Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 HSE
These apply to every site electrical system. HSE's guide HSG141, Electrical safety on construction sites, explains how, alongside CDM 2015 and PUWER 1998.
Overhead lines and buried cables HSE
HSE guidance GS6 covers planning work near overhead power lines, where contact or flashover can kill. HSG47 covers locating buried services before you dig.
Electrical work in homes Part P
In England, notifiable domestic electrical work, such as a new circuit or a consumer unit replacement, must be self-certified by an installer in a competent person scheme or signed off by building control. Wales has had its own Building Regulations since 31 July 2014.
Generator hire
Where a connection isn't ready, a diesel generator can power the site. Hire firms' published weekly rates for a 20 kVA site generator range from about £200 to £675, and for 60 kVA from about £510 to £890, excluding VAT. Fuel, delivery and collection are usually extra, and some firms set a minimum hire.
What to check before you hire
- NERS scope. For connection work, ask an ICP for its NERS certificate and check it covers the voltage and type of work.
- What the quote includes. Check who digs on your land, who supplies ducting and the meter cabinet, and whether road works and council charges are included.
- Site wiring. Ask your electrician to install and test the site distribution to BS 7671 and give you a certificate.
- Buried and overhead services. Get utility records and a survey before you dig near existing cables.
- Insurance. Ask for public liability and employers' liability certificates.
For householders and self-builders
Apply for your connection as soon as you have planning permission, as quotes, wayleaves and road works all take time. Ask the operator whether your builder's supply can become the permanent supply, and plan the meter cabinet where it'll suit the finished house.
Questions to ask
- Is the price a firm quote or an estimate, and what's included?
- Who digs and reinstates the trench on my land, and to what depth?
- Does the route need road digging, new poles or a neighbour's permission?
- When can you connect after I accept?
- Can the temporary supply become the permanent one?
- For ICPs: what does your NERS accreditation cover?
Prices in this guide are typical ranges from suppliers' published price lists and cost guides. They change and vary by area, so always confirm the price with the supplier before you book. Rules, fees and tax rates are checked against official sources.
Electrical and power connections questions
How much does a new electricity connection for a house cost?
Network operators' published guide prices for one new home start from about £1,300 (SP Electricity North West, average £1,790 including VAT) and are typically £2,500 excluding VAT at National Grid Electricity Distribution. Long cable runs, road digging and new poles or transformers can cost much more. Digging on your own land is usually extra.
How long does a new electricity connection take?
On SP Electricity North West's and National Grid Electricity Distribution's price guides, a single home is connected around 4 to 8 weeks after you accept and pay. Sites needing road works, new equipment or a neighbour's permission take longer.
What is a temporary builder's supply?
A temporary electricity connection for a building site. The network operator or an independent connection provider brings a cable to a lockable, weatherproof cabinet, and your electricity supplier fits a meter. The site installation needs an RCD and its own earth electrode, wired to BS 7671.
Who is my electricity network operator?
Great Britain has 14 network areas, each with its own distribution network operator. Search your postcode on the Energy Networks Association's Find my network operator tool. In Northern Ireland, the network operator is NIE Networks. For a power cut in England, Scotland or Wales, call 105.
What is an ICP?
An independent connection provider is an accredited contractor that can design and build a new connection instead of the network operator. The network operator still connects and energises it. ICPs are accredited under the National Electricity Registration Scheme (NERS), run by LRQA.
How quickly must a network operator quote for a connection?
Under Ofgem's guaranteed standards, the network operator must quote within 5 working days for one low-voltage connection, or 15 working days for 2 to 4 homes. If it's late, it pays you £20 for each working day.
Do I have to pay for network reinforcement?
Not for upstream reinforcement on a demand connection. Since 1 April 2023, customers no longer pay a share of reinforcing the wider network. You still pay for the connection itself and anything built only for you.
Why are site tools 110 volts?
BS 7671 Section 704 favours reduced low voltage on construction sites: 110 V centre-tapped to earth, so no more than 55 V to earth, for portable tools and site lighting. HSE says battery tools are the safest choice.
How much does it cost to hire a site generator?
Hire firms' published weekly rates for a 20 kVA diesel generator range from about £200 to £675, and for 60 kVA from about £510 to £890, excluding VAT. Fuel, delivery and collection are usually extra.
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