Commissioning booked, no permanent power
The building is weathertight and the M&E contractor wants to commission the heating and ventilation. That needs permanent power. The electricity connection application went in months ago, the quote came back, and somebody accepted it, or thought they did. The payment was never made because the invoice went to a general inbox. The network operator's installation slot is now weeks away. Water, gas and fibre each have their own version of the same story.
Everyone assumed someone else was dealing with the utilities. The person who was dealing with them left in the spring.
Why connections get stuck
Each utility provider runs its own process, portal and timescales. Applications need information from the design team, such as loads and meter positions, that arrives late. Quotes have acceptance windows. Payments have to be made before works are scheduled. Wayleaves and road openings add steps outside your control. None of this sits on the construction programme.
- Each supply has a separate provider, process and portal.
- Applications wait on design information such as loads and meter positions.
- Quotes expire if not accepted and paid in time.
- Provider correspondence goes to one person's inbox.
- The date permanent supplies are needed is not linked to the application steps.
What late connections cost
Commissioning is delayed, and with it practical completion. Temporary supplies stay on hire longer, with generators and temporary heating running up costs. Occupiers cannot move in. Expired quotes have to be re-applied for, sometimes at a higher price and with a new wait. And the project team spends its last weeks chasing providers instead of finishing the building.
The connections tracker we build
- Every supply on the job is listed: electricity, water, gas, telecoms and any others, with the provider, the type of connection and the date it is needed from your programme.
- Each supply has its steps: design information, application, quote received, quote accepted, payment, wayleave or permits, provider works, meter installation, supply live.
- Latest dates for each step are worked back from the date needed, using typical durations you can adjust per provider.
- Provider references, quotes, acceptance deadlines and correspondence are stored against the supply, from a shared inbox rather than one person's.
- Each step has an owner in your team or the design team, and is chased as its date approaches.
- Quote expiry dates and unpaid invoices are flagged well before they cause a problem.
- The project manager sees all supplies on one screen, with any at risk highlighted against the programme.
| Supply | Current step | Needed by | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electricity | Quote accepted, payment due | Commissioning | At risk |
| Water | Provider works booked | Commissioning | On track |
| Gas | Application with provider | Commissioning | On track |
| Telecoms | Duct route agreed | Occupation | Needs action |
Provider processes and requirements are set by each provider. We track the steps and dates; we do not act as your agent with them unless you ask us to design that in.
Supplies live when the building needs them
Nobody is surprised at the end of the job by a supply that is months away. Quotes are accepted and paid within their windows. Design information needed for applications is chased early with a clear reason. When someone leaves, the history of every application is still there. And temporary supplies come off hire when they should.
Across several jobs, the tracker also builds a picture of how long each provider really takes in your area, which makes the next programme more realistic.
Are utility connections a late surprise on your jobs?
- Permanent supplies have arrived after commissioning was due.
- Utility quotes have expired before acceptance.
- Connection correspondence sits in one person's inbox.
- Nobody can list the status of every supply on a job.
- Temporary supplies stay on hire longer than planned.