What is the Problem?
With the UK’s ambition to achieve net zero by 2050, there has and will continue to be a significant rise in low carbon technologies:
• By 2035, all new cars are expected to be electric, requiring over a million chargers
• Government forecasts anticipate 1.5 million heat pump installations per year
• This results in UK distribution network operator (DNOs) receiving around 2.5 million enquiries annually, or nearly 7,000 per day.
Many older homes have outdated service cables and termination equipment that are not fit for modern energy demands. Research shows that about 33% of connection requests by customers require some form of intervention and 10% necessitate complete service cable replacements. This scale of upgrade represents a major challenge for DNOs tasked with supporting the country’s decarbonisation goals.
Current practices for service cable replacement predominantly involve open dig trench solutions, which are time-consuming, generate substantial excavation waste and increase street works, causing issues for customers with landscaped gardens or resin-finished driveways.
Preferred Solution
A solution is needed to significantly reduce or eliminate the need for open excavations from the pavement to the customer’s front door. All options involving directional or guided drilling techniques should be considered. Notably, the existing service cable, which will become redundant during the upgrade, can be utilised as a guide or sacrificial pilot route for the new service installation.
Process information
To make a submission for this opportunity please sign in/register to the Energy Innovation Centre (EIC) hub. Complete the submission process on the hub and we will be in-touch with feedback and any potential next steps. If you have any queries, then please email us at [email protected].
The following can be expected following submission:
• Submissions will be reviewed by the EIC within one week of the closing date
• The EIC will share appropriate submissions with industry partners
• Industry partners will review the submissions within two weeks of receipt
• Successful innovators will be contacted by the EIC to discuss next steps.
The closing date for submissions to this challenge is 23:59 on 23rd July 2025.