Looped electricity supplies

A looped electricity supply is one in which two or more properties share a service cable from the distribution network. The cable may enter one property and continue from its meter position to a neighbour, or several properties may form a longer chain.

The service cable and cut-out are DNO equipment. A householder or installer must not open, touch or alter them. Where the supply may be looped, the DNO confirms the arrangement and decides whether it can support proposed new demand or generation.

Why a loop may become a constraint

The shared service was designed for the combined use of the connected properties. Adding a sustained load such as an EV charger or heat pump can change that requirement. SSEN says a loop may need to be removed when either property needs more power or wants to move its supply position.

The ENA’s cut-out guidance tells EV and heat-pump installers to refer an identified looped service to the DNO for assessment. That assessment may lead to a new independent service.

The important point is not that every loop has the same limit. The DNO needs the actual cable arrangement, cut-out type, fuse information and calculated demand. A dynamic load-control feature does not remove the need to disclose a loop where the DNO process requires assessment.

How it can be identified

Some looped services show two service cables at a cut-out: one arriving and one continuing to another property. That is only a visual clue.

The ENA warns that the final property in a chain may show only one cable at its cut-out and still be looped. Underground cable routes and enclosed meter positions can also hide the arrangement. DNO records may need to be combined with photographs, investigation or a site visit.

Safe checks are:

• ask the DNO whether its records show a looped service
• give the DNO clear photographs taken without touching its equipment
• record the visible cut-out and cable arrangement during the survey
• arrange a DNO visit where the records or photographs are inconclusive

Do not remove seals or open a cut-out to inspect the fuse or cable. The ENA guidance expressly tells installers to keep a safe distance from DNO equipment and contact the DNO if there is doubt or a safety concern.

EV chargers and heat pumps

Before an EV charger or heat pump is installed, the designer assesses the existing supply and the maximum demand after the new equipment is added. If a loop is present, the DNO’s current low-carbon-technology process determines whether the work can proceed and on what terms.

Provide the DNO with:

• the property address and MPAN
• photographs of the meter position and cut-out
• the proposed equipment and maximum current
• the existing and proposed maximum-demand calculation
• details of any load limiting or load management
• the required installation date

Do not rely on a nominal fuse rating printed in old paperwork. The actual service and shared arrangement are what the DNO assesses.

Solar and battery systems

Solar and storage still follow G98 or G99, with G100 where export limitation is proposed. Those standards do not make a known loop irrelevant.

The application shows all existing and new generation, storage and controllable load and identifies the looped service. The network can then assess import and export effects together. A decision made for an EV charger or heat pump should not be assumed to approve a later battery or larger solar installation.

If the DNO agrees an export limit, keep that agreement separate from any import or service-capacity condition. Export limitation controls net flow to the network; it does not increase the physical rating of the shared service cable.

What unlooping involves

Unlooping gives the affected properties independent service connections. The exact design depends on which property is fed first, available cable routes and where the network can connect a new service.

The work can involve:

1. records and site investigation
2. design of a new cable route
3. land rights, access and highway permissions where required
4. excavation on private land or in the street
5. installation of a new service cable and cut-out
6. disconnection of the old loop
7. meter, tails or internal work where the new arrangement requires it
8. testing and restoration of supply

SSEN says it needs access to its equipment at both properties for relevant visits and work. It also says the supply must be isolated while work is carried out. A neighbour’s involvement and the route of excavation should therefore be identified early rather than after an installation date has been promised.

Who does which work

The DNO is responsible for its service cable and cut-out. The electricity supplier or meter operator deals with the meter. A competent electrician handles the customer’s installation, including meter tails or distribution equipment where these fall outside the DNO’s work.

SSEN notes that many straightforward unloops involve only its equipment, but a meter move, increased load or internal alteration may bring the supplier and electrician into the project. The relevant DNO should give a project-specific responsibility schedule.

The project programme identifies who books metering, internal electrical work, groundworks and access. The DNO does not necessarily coordinate every other party.

Cost and timing

There is no safe nationwide price or duration. SSEN says many eligible household unloops are free where the supply is a typical metered service up to 100A per phase and the work is needed for equipment such as an EV charger or heat pump. It also says charges can apply for additional work or demand above that standard service.

That is SSEN’s published position for its network, not a promise from every DNO for every site. Ask the property’s DNO for written confirmation of:

• which work is funded
• any customer contribution
• whether groundworks are included
• responsibility for reinstatement
• supplier and electrician costs outside the DNO scope
• dependencies on access, consents or permits
• the planned outage and work dates

Government research published in January 2026 confirms that looped connections remain a GB network issue relevant to the transition to low-carbon technologies. It does not make every individual unloop identical or free.

Property transactions and supply alterations

If a property is likely to need an EV charger, heat pump, larger electrical supply or substantial generation, check the service before treating that work as straightforward. A normal home survey or electrical report may not establish the DNO cable route.

Useful evidence is written DNO confirmation, the supply capacity, any existing unlooping proposal and details of cable routes or access rights. Where planned work depends on a neighbour’s property, take legal advice on the relevant land and access documents rather than relying on an informal understanding.

Related entries

• Head fuse rating
• Consumer unit capacity
• DNO service head
• Single-phase electricity supply
• Three-phase supply upgrades
• Electrical supply for heat pumps