Hi,
My friend’s tenant recently installed EV charger. The electricity supplier is Scottish Power.
They sent a contractor to install the EV charger.
When the electrician was working my friend (Landlord) visited the property, when he saw the electrician was running the cable on the bottom part of the wall, he said to the electrician to run the cable a few meters (2-3 meters) above the ground due to the below reasons:
When tenant or someone reverses into the drive way the car can accidently hit the wire and damageit or can cause an accident.
Children always play on the driveway with bike and other things and can damage the wire or cause an accident.
In rain there will be flood and that can damage the wire.
My friend (the landlord) was working, so he had to leave the property. Later, my friend (the landlord) noticed that the electrician ran the wire through the bottom part of the wall. Please see the attached images.
Could someone please advise whether it is safe to run the wire this way (please see the images)? Is this a standard practice to run it on the bottom part of the wall (please see the images)?
If the landlord or tenant contacts Scottish Power will they put it 2-3 meters above the ground?
Thanks
Looking at your pictures, I wouldn’t worry about this. The wire is attached to a massive brick wall, which they are likely to see when reversing. I’d be more worried about the damage to the wall, than a few wire clips being broken. The cable will be armoured too.
LL should ask tenant [or they can get from Scottish Power/contractor] to provide the electrical installation works certificate to confirm that the work done is safe and complies with building regs. LL needs this anyway to demonstrate compliance and if LL ever sells the property needed.
Tenant was Scottish Power’s customer, not LL, so no reason to expect contractor to pay any attention to LL’s views if they are not a qualified electrician. If LL not happy with works done, need to take it up with tenant [who can then ask Scottish Power to get rerouted higher - which I’m sure they would do at a price, unless they consider their supplier has done substandard or unsafe work]
The landlord is planning to contact Scottish Power for the Safety Certificate for the installation of the EV charger - in case he has to sell the property in the future.
He does not know the name of the company which installed the charger. He is planning to ask Scottish Power whether they can give the name of the company and also whether they used an NICEIC registered contractor for the job.
Tenant could pay to put a bar of light or reflective tape on wall to alert a driver reversing and you could arrange for him to sign a declaration that he is responsible for any damage hereon caused to the wall until he vacates the property.
you’ll actually find it impossible to reverse into a cable that is no more than 6 inches above the ground. The body of the car will make contact with the wall above the cable and if you can’t avoid a wall well there’s no helping you really.
