Do wires like these drive you up the pole?

Jason Lewis is in the village of Rock, Worcestershire. He has just obtained a £5,500 payout from Western Power, the electricity network operator for the Midlands, Wales and the south-west, as compensation for overhead power lines that run over his house from a wooden pole on the street. Now his neighbours are lining up to obtain similar payouts, too.

Tens of thousands of households across Britain are potentially in line for compensation after a series of awards obtained by claims companies. But before jumping for joy at the news, let’s be absolutely clear who can benefit. This is not about wooden poles carrying telephone lines. This is about high-voltage electricity power lines on wooden poles, typically with three wires, largely – but not exclusively – to be found in villages and rural areas. The pole has to be on the property, or the wires running directly over it, to qualify for compensation. If the wires run near to your property, but not on or over it, bad luck – you won’t get a penny.

Electricity network operators have always paid compensation to property owners directly affected by the giant pylons criss-crossing the country, but only in the past couple of years have they begun making significant awards for the wooden pole carriers of electricity.

So who qualifies, how much will be paid, and how do you make a claim?

Eligible properties Crucially, you can’t obtain a payout if compensation has been agreed previously. It is a one-off payment that is not repeated. Experts estimate that around 95% of the compensation regarding giant electricity pylons has already been paid, but this is not the case with wooden pole lines. Don’t assume that because you recently bought a property that has power lines running over it, that a “deed of easement” payment has already been granted. Many owners, either through ignorance or apathy, didn’t apply.

To find out if compensation has already been paid, you have to contact your “distribution network operator”. This is not the same as your electricity company. There are 10 operators across the UK – think of them as more like subcontractors to the National Grid. Contact details are at energynetworks.org.

The power lines and/or pylon towers have to cross your land or property, although you may be able to claim if, in high winds, the “swing and sag” of the lines affects your property. If they ruin your view, but are not on or over your property, you do not qualify.

How to make a claim The electricity distributors recommend contacting them directly – again, go to energynetworks.org. But there are at least three no-win, no-fee claims companies in this field, who take a percentage cut – from 12% to CHECK% – of the amount awarded. They argue that they will negotiate a much higher payout than if you go direct. There is a reasonable amount of evidence to suggest this is true.

Alternatively, you can hire a surveyor to do it for you, and pay his or her fees upfront (expect around £600-£700). They will not then be entitled to any commission. The claims companies Three claims companies operating in this field are Thomson Broadbent, which charges CHECK%, Sherwill Drake Forbes (12%), and The Powerline Advisory Group (12.5%). Thomson Broadbent is the longest established and says it has the greatest knowledge and experience.

Like Thomson Broadbent, Sherwill Drake Forbes is a surveying firm regulated by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics), and was used by Jason Lewis to obtain £5,500. The Powerline Advisory Group describes itself as a “property compensation consultancy” but is not Rics regulated.

We spoke to a smallholder in Pembrokeshire – he didn’t want to be named – who, three years ago, bought an 11-acre site that in the far corner had some power lines running over it. Initially, he went direct to Western Power and was offered £3,000. Powerline Advisory Group promised to negotiate a better deal and take 12.5% of anything above the £3,000. Eventually he was offered £4,000, and it handled much of the paperwork, so he felt it was worthwhile.

How much will be paid? On the web pages of the claims companies there are some eye-watering figures: £11,000 for one homeowner in Bristol with a wooden pole and three lines on his property; £28,975 for lines running over a five-bed home in Wiltshire.

The reality is compensation is assessed in terms of how much the lines/poles devalue a property. This is why it is always a negotiation, and why Rics surveyors provide valuations.

Unfortunately, there is no fixed scale of payments. In researching this article, we were told that if you have a pole carrying 11,000w, you should get 1.5% of the value of your property. But it could be higher or lower, depending on the proximity of the pole to the building.

Online forums, where property owners have shared information on their claims, suggest that some get 3-4% of their property value. “There’s no rule of thumb; it varies dramatically. We find that the settlement reached can be vastly different from what was initially offered,” says Sherwill Drake Forbes director Chris Jeffery.

Is it much of a hassle? Yes and no. It takes a surprising amount of time – a minimum of six months – sometimes 18 – from the initial contact. It usually involves a surveyor coming to your property, and the appointment of a solicitor. However, the convention appears to be that the power companies pay for your solicitor. If you have a mortgage, you will also have to contact the lender and obtain its consent. The claims companies say this is always given, but it does add to the time it takes. Claims companies say they will check to see if a payment has already been made, and will take care of all the paperwork.

The main problem is inflated expectations. And don’t confuse a wooden telegraph pole for an electricity pole.