Home electric car point - Help Understanding Looped Supply

[SensibleDev]

Hi,

Just had a Pod Point home car charger installed. It was meant to be the 7kw (32a) version but the installer said my property has a ‘looped’ supply to it and that they could only allow operational charging at 3.7kw.

I have done some reading online but still a little unsure about a looped supply.

I called U.K. Power and the said they could take me out of the loop for a price. However other people I’ve seen online have had this done at the cost of the supply company???

Is there a difference?

Images attached below.

My supply:

Neighbour to left:

Neighbour to right:

Pod Point report:

 

[bernardgreen]

To remove the loop will require a new supply cable from the street to your neighbour and maybe a new cable from street to your house.

 

[EFLImpudence]

As far as this is concerned

Because it states 100A on the carrier (this is the maximum rating) does not mean there is 100A fuse inside.

It could be 80A or even 60A, in either case your cables are fine.



Did they actually look inside?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

they could only allow operational charging at 3.7kw.

 

[EFLImpudence]

 

[bernardgreen]

Well spotted EFLImpudence

 

[SensibleDev]

To remove the loop will require a new supply cable from the street to your neighbour and maybe a new cable from street to your house.

View attachment 145193

Thanks,

So the loop only consists of 2 properties? Supply into mine which then goes on to my neighbours property to the

To remove the loop will require a new supply cable from the street to your neighbour and maybe a new cable from street to your house.

View attachment 145193

Thanks for this. So, if I understand correctly I have the supply coming in to my property and then my neighbour to the left is on a looped service from me(he only has one black cable going to the head???) or I am in a chain from the neighbour to my right aswell?? They also have 2 black cables going to their head.

Cheers

 

[SensibleDev]

View attachment 145198

Can you expand on this? I’m simple.

These are Henley Blocks I think? And we’re installed by the pod point person.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Both outgoing cables have 'N' for neutral on them - don't know why.

There may be nothing wrong but you or an electrician should make sure which ones are connecteed to L and N in your consumer unit.

 

[Adam_151]

Thanks,
or I am in a chain from the neighbour to my right aswell?? They also have 2 black cables going to their head.

It would seem not, the giveaway is the coloured sticker on the cable head, You have a blue one, to indicate you are on Blue phase, as does your neighbour to the left, The neighbour to the right has a yellow one, to indicate he is on yellow phase, and you'll probably find his other neighour has one cable and a yellow sticker. In most cases they'd stick to two looped supplies and not create daisy chains of them, although exceptions do exist. You are lucky that they actually bothered with teh coloured stickers though, and that they havn't been pulled off over the years

 

[SensibleDev]

Cheers guys. Perfect explanation. Thankyou.

 

[Adam_151]

Not convinced that worrying that its a looped supply at this stage isn't a bit OTT, send in the form notifying the DNO of the car charger, and if they want to change it, they can, but in reaility I doubt it'll cause any problems in practice.

The DNO will have bigger things to worry about, once the roll out of EVs gathers pace, local distribution will not be able to cope in areas where there are a lot of EVs charging, that will be swiftly followed by the fact that there simply is not enough generation in the country, and if they were to meet the demand they should have commisioned a load of new nuclear plants about a decade ago... Of course those who sit in whitehall see EVs as the panacea to a lot of things and don't worry that the large take up of these vehicles they want, is not not feasible, and do not want to listen when told its not, in the same way they don't want to listen when told intentional backdoors to encrytion algorithms arn't feasible either

 

[john4703]

The DNO will have bigger things to worry about, once the roll out of EVs gathers pace, local distribution will not be able to cope in areas where there are a lot of EVs charging, that will be swiftly followed by the fact that there simply is not enough generation in the country, and if they were to meet the demand they should have commisioned a load of new nuclear plants about a decade ago...

I have a friend who lives on Orkney and has an EV. He tells me that 100% of the power on the island is from renewable sources, I think he means solar, wind and wave generation. There is plenty of potential for supply without nuclear and without increasing CO2 emmissions.

 

[JohnW2]

.... renewable sources, I think he means solar, wind and wave generation. There is plenty of potential for supply without nuclear and without increasing CO2 emmissions.

CO2 emissions are not everything. Particularly in the face of increasing demands, I don't think that such 'renewable resources' could ever produce a substantial proportion of total electricity demand without involving almost unthinkably widespread 'destruction' of landscapes and seascapes, not to mention possible direct effects on climate and ecosystems.

Kind Regards, John

 

[JohnW2]

Not convinced that worrying that its a looped supply at this stage isn't a bit OTT, send in the form notifying the DNO of the car charger, and if they want to change it, they can, but in reality I doubt it'll cause any problems in practice.

I agree. I don't think the fact that the service is looped is, in itself, particularly relevant. What matters is the adequacy of the supply in relation to the OP's demand.

Kind Regards, John