Underground Cables

Accidents can occur when home owners do not know where electricity cables have been buried – either on your own property or in the services corridor which sits between your property boundary and the road.  Electricity cables may be underground, as may water, gas and sewer lines.  If you are not sure exactly where your supply cables are, check with your local council or service provider before you start any excavation work, particularly in the berm outside your property.

Horizon Energy offers a FREE advisory service if you want to know the location of underground cables supplying electricity to the boundary of your property.  And remember: if you accidentally uncover any cable, contact Horizon Energy (even if the cable is not damaged) and we’ll take a closer look for you.  A charge applies for locating privately owned underground cables.

Be aware of what’s under the ground, particularly when digging deep holes for fence posts or if you are inserting any spikes or poles into the ground.

And if you are doing any gardening, planting or maintenance on the grass verge between your property boundary and the road, check whether the electricity supply has been buried underground.

For more information on safety with underground cables read the Department of Labour Underground Services Guide.

A Guide to Horizon Energy's Cable Location Service
1. Horizon Energy offers a FREE Cable Location Service for cables belonging to Horizon Energy.
2. Electrical cables running underground in the service corridor beside residential roads are owned by Horizon Energy.  They are likely to be below the grass verge between your property boundary and the road.  In rare situations, there may be some cables within your property that are owned by Horizon Energy.  They will have been buried at a safe depth originally but with time and road surface alterations they may be nearer the surface than you might expect.
3. DO NOT plant trees or garden or place signs or stakes in the verge outside your property if electricity cables are buried underground – unless you have checked with Horizon Energy for the exact location of the cables.
4. Horizon Energy does not provide a free location for private service cables.  There will be a charge for this service.  Private Service Cables are the cables inside your boundary that carry electricity supply to your home.  Horizon Energy can provide this specialist electrical service to undertake this work on your behalf.
5. However if you – the property owner – dig up or uncover an underground electrical cable on your property contact Horizon Energy immediately on our 0800 number.  CALL 0800 467 496.

Remember that damaging underground electrical cables could result in serious injury or even death.

A minimum of 2 working days notice is required for all Cable Location requests except in emergencies.

If you need to locate electricity cables –

CALL HORIZON ENERGY FIRST | 0800 467 496