Cumbrian dairy family says cable repair resolved power dispute
The Walker family farms at Harrington, near Workington, and has spent years disputing the source of an electrical problem. The family said the issue damaged appliances, increased electricity bills and affected its cattle. It argued that stray voltage from the electricity network was responsible; SP Electricity North West repeatedly said the problem originated on the farm’s side of the supply.
The family said milk output fell from about 8,000 litres a year per cow to 6,500 litres. David Walker, a third-generation member of the farming family, said the suspected stray voltage caused the cattle to act as conduits for current and avoid their water troughs. The family said this created a significant animal-welfare concern.
On Sunday July 5, the main connection between the farm’s Copper Bank bungalow and the network’s main line burnt out at an electricity pole. Mr Walker said this was the third incident of the same kind in 13 years. Engineers repaired the connection and, during subsequent testing, found an intermittent earthing problem.
On July 8, engineers sought access from Mr Walker and the owners of a cottage on the land to replace the overhead cable supplying the bungalow and nearby Harrington Parks Cottages. The work was carried out the following day. Mr Walker said the cable had not previously been examined by SP Electricity North West and that he kept a diary of work undertaken at the site.
Mr Walker said that after the repair the farm’s circuit breakers stopped tripping when appliances were switched on. He also reported that the cows began drinking more readily, appeared calmer and produced more milk. The family said the herd would need at least 12 months to recover fully and that it had already lost thousands of pounds in income.
SP Electricity North West said independent investigations it funded earlier this year had found that the incoming supply was within the statutory range. The company said the problem was therefore most likely to have originated in the farm’s internal electrical network. It added that the family’s earlier complaint had been referred to the energy ombudsman, which closed the case without further action after finding that the company had followed the relevant investigative procedures.
Mr Walker said the family’s independent electricians’ reports had been disregarded. He also said the problem may have become more severe in April 2021, when a network transformer was replaced and the voltage across the phases was increased. He described the apparent improvement after the cable repair as bringing relief, anger and disgust, and said the family believed there was a connection between the repair and the changes on the farm, although the company had not acknowledged one.
