Access to electricity via neighbour's land

[Akses]

We've lived next door to our neighbours for three years, moving in on the same day to new build houses. We've always got on well enough for a quick chat, small favours, until today when we were told something out of our control is 'becoming a pain'.

Unfortunately, the developer put our electric meter on the side of our house which is enclosed (via their gate) inside their back garden. The back of their house runs along the side of ours and the gap between is their path to access their back door and does not belong to us, however is the only way we can use or read the meter, so I think a right to access is implied.

As we had a smart meter installed, we've not needed regular/monthly access, but since having an electric vehicle charger installed at the front, the box had to go directly under the supply. This meant workmen needed access once. It has now recently tripped twice and needed resetting to restore the electricity supply, so at 1pm on a Sunday afternoon, our access was denied as it was apparently inconvenient.

I do understand that our car isn't their problem, but not allowing us to maintain the box when it's obviously creating an unforeseen problem for us seems unreasonable.

I also understand that if we're needing constant access that's not really fair, but we were hoping this wouldn't keep happening, but even if I could get someone out to fix it on a Sunday, they'd need to be given access to solve it once and for all.

Could they not move their gate to the other side of the meter? If not I would be contacting the developer and asking them to pay to have your meter moved to being attached to your house.

I would check the deeds to see what it says about access. Ask to see theirs as well (or you can probably buy a copy from Land Registry). If you have a right of way for access to your meter, then the neighbours should abide by that. A right-of-way is a legal obligation, and it's whenever you need access, not when they feel like it. A stern solicitors letter may be required (and may still not work of course). But if you actually don't have a right-of-way then there's not much you can do. I would look into having the meter moved, or perhaps you can pay the neighbours for right-of-access (expensive as you would need to pay for two solicitors to set it up, plus whatever they want for it.) Right-of-way agreements are sometimes called wayleaves. Not a lawyer!

You can move meters. Honestly, it is probably easier in the long run. Even if you do get a solicitor on them for access, you still need to live next to them.

Thanks for replies. I'm sure they won't move the gate as they act like it's a real pain for them to go out and draw back the bolt when asked - and to be fair the meter is past their back door, which they want enclosing.

I've checked the deeds and there is actually an explicit right to access any adjoining land to inspect or maintain the property or service media (which includes electricity supply).

It's really not been necessary so far, so maybe they weren't aware either and surprised to be asked now, but I guess the titles are all drawn up to allow for these issues without having to fix something that makes no sense for the developer to have done in the first place!

The developer has set it up this way because that was the easiest and cheapest way of doing it without caring about the access issue. Regardless of what is written in the deeds its going to be difficult going gorewards. I would just get your own meter installed life's too short for this kind of hassle.

Seems like an odd layout! However the right to access is on the deeds - they should have checked this when they bought the house and considered the implications then, and if they weren't prepared to allow access when required then they shouldn't have bought the house. Its the same for any shared utility. As PP's have suggested moving the meter might be the best solution in the long term as long as you can afford it and you want to stay in the house long term yourself - you could offer to go halves with the neighbours as they are causing the issue by being annoyed at providing you access and this would be a benefit to them.