Garden shed has electric power

[gurgleenglish]

Hello, I just bought a house and discovered the garden shed right at the back has electric power.

I’m getting a whole house rewire done next week and not sure if I should keep the electric running into the shed or not.

I can’t see myself needing to use electricity in the shed, but wondering if anyone does, and what you use it for?

also, in the future, I want to build an annexe at the back (detached from the house). How much does it cost to get electricity running to the annexe through the garden?

I have electric running to my garage. It’s handy for a lot of reasons. You may wish to do some diy, run a lawnmower/strimmer, charge up batteries, put a freezer or tumble dryer out there. Just to name of a few reasons to keep a supply to the shed.
no idea on costs to extend electric.

I've never had electricity in my shed and never needed it.

It will cost £6k to get electric running from the annex through the garden

I have electricity in my shed. It's useful yes, but not useful enough for me to install it again. (I bought the house like with it already)

God yes! Why on earth would you not? Get the electrician to check it. We've always had electricity to back shed and front shed. It's a godsend. I've got a 2nd Freezer in the back shed!

So many things run on rechargeable batteries now inc strimmers and lawnmowers that it seems to me a nobrainer to keep it, cost permitting.

We don't have a garage so may be slightly different, but use the electricity in the shed for running mower, hedge trimmer, strimmer etc. It also has lights inside and out so can be used as workshop, and light the garden if we're having a BBQ.

I’d definitely get it. My shed has it and I have a running machine, lights and chest freezer (for allotment bounty). It’s handy to have sockets to be able to charge things or simply plug in a tool.

I’d also get external sockets popped on the house itself, an exterior light for front & back plus a charging port set up for car even if not currently needed.

Rewires don’t have to be up to modern building regs but I would also recommend complying despite it not being necessary - this will usually mean lowering light switches and raising sockets. It’s for disability access and future proofs the house.

Other advice:

Get a fuse board with a few spare slots in case you want to add to your system at some point - loft conversion/extension. Also, agree the location of the fuse board and make sure you don’t lose space/storage due to them popping it somewhere they find convenient rather than where you would ideally like to access it. It’s often under the stairs and you want it as close to the mains supply as feasible.

Choose your own sockets and switches. Get a list and select them. The ones they supply as standard will disappoint you. I advise against metal - which are considered the sleekest - as the finish chips/scratches. That was a very expensive lesson for me 🤣 When doing rewires I pick a higher end plastic like BG “evolve”. You could specify the design with your electrician and they may be able to source cheaper than you. But don’t let them choose for you. Same goes for things like bathroom fans - these vary hugely noise and efficacy wise.

I'd definitely keep electricity to the shed - means you can have a robot mower if you want, plug in a hedge trimmer or whatever, put a tumble dryer out there if you want or if you like DIY you can have saws etc plugged in out there.

Definitely have power in the shed. And light, too.

Light is so useful when tidying things away at the end of the day, especially as we are often still out after dark at this time of the year.

Power is essential for charging outdoor power tools, otherwise they have to be charged indoors. Some can have the battery left on charge like a cordless vacuum. Also for running corded power tools, especially if you don't have an outside socket.

My DH and I are both disabled. Those lowered light switches and raised sockets are no help at all.
Someone sitting in a wheelchair can easily reach the light switch at normal height. The severely disabled can have special environmental control systems that don't involve using the switches at all.

The higher sockets cause trailing wires from vacuum cleaners etc to be more of a hazard.

Wow, cost me £700 2 years ago for the same and that was with needing a new circuit or something technical so we didn’t have to worry about overloading it 🤷‍♀️. Can’t remember the technical details but it was top of the range electrics 😁

guess it will depend on the distance the cable needs to be run as the armoured cable isn’t cheap and there will be work involved. Also are you wanting a proper trench dug or are you happy with laying it on top of the soil at the back of flower beds around the perimeter? We did do the latter as no way was I digging a 100ft trench nor was I paying someone to do that much digging.

£6k wasn't the sort of sum I was quoted for this (well for a big garden office with armoured cable etc) last year, I think it was £1500 if I remember correctly but I didn't end up getting one so i don't remember. But it definitely wasn't that much!

Mini fridge for secret cheese and wine evenings 😉

If nothing else it's really handy to have a light in the shed.

Get the electrician to check out the wiring and lighting/sockets etc. If it's been a relatively modern installation, done by a professional, it will probably be compliant and won't need "re-wiring". If that's the case, the electrician will just connect it to the new distribution board via a separate circuit/trip switch, which will cost virtually nothing extra.

If it's been a DIY job or very old, it may not be compliant and would need excavation for the installation of new protective trunking/wiring planted deep enough, plus maybe new sockets and lighting installations. If that's the case it WILL be expensive as laying new wiring down a garden is time consuming and the protective trunking/cabling isn't cheap either.

Just ask the electrician. It's easy enough for him simply to terminate/isolate the wiring from the shed at the distribution board to isolate it if it's too old/expensive to rewire. He won't need to rip it all out, it can all be left, but just left in a state that it can't be reconnected to the distribution board for safety's sake (to stop a future DIY bod just reconnecting it again!).

I don’t create electrical best practice 🤷‍♀️

I was suggesting it as able bodied people find it harder to bend as they age. Older people also have a lot of issues with balance. If it’s a forever home it’s a benefit.

I have also found that the more aspects done to modern code the less a surveyor pays attention when inspecting - that is the flip side if it isn’t a forever home.

Thanks everyone for all your advice! I think we'll keep it if it's safe.

@Gribbit987 my electrician advised a 12-way fuse board, but now we are thinking of getting an 18-way board to provide spares for the future! thanks for the advice

Robot mower! I never thought about that before. If budget allows, we'll get one!

Ours was £380. The cost is generally distance based, we dug the ditch ourselves which saved almost £200.

There are lots of reasons why it's helpful to see what you're doing.

Far out, keep the electricity. https://www.bhg.com/home-improvement/outdoor/shed-playhouse/she-shed-ideas/

And keep it your space. A radio, a comfy chair, a kelly kettle or something https://kellykettle.com.au/collections/kelly-kettles and a lock in the inside.

£6k?? We were half that for a whole (large) house rewire 2 years ago 😂

Keep it definitely!

Outbuilding power cost will depend on distance and what the cable has to go through and how much power you need. Cables lose power over length so more expensive the longer they are.

Ours is 50m away downhill through garden. It was £3k for full power for electric heating/ bathroom/ kitchen , large 2bed annexe.

Before that we ran a protected cable above ground/10cm under ourselves. That was just for lights/ basic office/ electric toilet before we renovated it. That cost about £200 in supplies

hi, where do you live? I’m in SW London and recently quoted full house (3 bed semi) rewire £5500 + VAT