On Fri, 19 Oct 2012 11:18:50 +0100, Nightjar
wrote:

On 19/10/2012 10:49, Tim Watts wrote:
Nightjar wrote:

Because it is the land owner's responsibility not to allow trees to
interfere with power lines, not the electricity companies'. The
electricity company only has a duty after they know there is a danger to
the public.

Colin Bignell

I would argue that since they *know* that private landowners cannot all be
trusted, they should be inspecting anyway.

If you want that sort of service, just to deal with a minority of land
owners who don't meet their responsibilities, be prepared to pay a lot
more for your electricity.


They do, but an entire tree could grow in the period between routine
inspections for most low voltage lines. There is not a lot that goes
wrong with them, apart from trees growing too close (0.8m for a 230/415v
distribution line) and a wooden pole should last at least 25 years.

Colin Bignell

I have a line like that above our garden ,it was converted to aerial
bundled years ago so the danger from some trees is more from physical
damage than electrical mainly from a branch falling from above. The
trees I've never really found who owns them, thought it was the farmer
as they are over the fence but though he does trim them to clear the
combine he says they are actually on a bit of land left when an estate
sold the land we live on 70 years ago ,probably a sort of ransom strip
that has now been forgotten about.
I trim or get someone competent in to do so every so often,they are
sycamores so giant weeds really though the birds like em.
Whenever a branch has threatened the cable a phone call to the
electric supplier has seen someone come out to deal with it,if I am
lucky they sometimes remove a little more than needed in exchange for
a cup of tea and biscuits.

If I had been in the OPs position I think I may have made a call to
the supplier and mentioned that some trees were appearing to get close
to conductors and could they check it. As he states they wouldn't have
grown close over night and he must have seen them growing.
May not actually have been his responsibility but may have saved his
trauma of not being able to send an Email and ending up like Bo peep
losing his sheep.

G.Harman