What Does a Utilities Consultant Do? Preventing Project Delays and Unwanted Costs

By Gary Akers, Head of Utilities at Whitecode Consulting

What Is a Utilities Consultant?

A utilities consultant works with property developers, housebuilders, architects, and construction teams to survey, assess, and manage the utility infrastructure, electricity, gas, water, and telecoms, that affects a development site. Their role spans everything from pre-construction surveys and utility strike avoidance through to coordinating new connections and working with network operators to resolve capacity constraints.

Engaging a utilities consultant early in a project can be the difference between a smooth programme and a costly, time-consuming problem discovered mid-construction.

In fact, the importance of utilities consultants was never more apparent than during a recent project for a client of ours. We were engaged by a private airfield to assist with the provision of new services to the facility.

However, the local electricity network was already working above capacity and suffering from mini blackouts. In fact, it was passing three times as much electricity as it should. Proving the electricity supply in that area was inadequate, leading to UK Power Network acknowledging this and stating reinforcement and a new sub-station was required, Whitecode Consulting saved the client £1 million.

This level of due diligence is just one example of the significant benefits of taking advantage of utilities consultants’ expertise and experience. Indeed, by undertaking extensive surveys of any and all existing pipes and cables, Whitecode Consulting has advised a number of clients to help them avoid unwanted and substantial costs.

The Real Cost of Skipping Utility Surveys

Sometimes housebuilders may not check what is below ground before they start construction. However, this is a false economy. For example, a £10,000 survey for a £250 million project is not a huge outlay compared to what it would cost to move existing pipework and cables further into the project.

By spending money up front to have surveys and assessments carried out by utilities consultants, builders will have a much clearer idea of where everything is underground. Consequently, decision-making is easier and the initial construction work is more productive – ultimately reducing project delays.

For instance, during a major residential development project in London, an existing water main that had already been installed was hit. However, the new pipework hadn't been recorded, so nobody knew it was there. This perfectly illustrates a significant problem that is occurring regularly in the built environment, people aren't properly recording what is being fitted underground. Instead, there are often assumptions that this knowledge is known and that is why mistakes happen.

In fact, the Utility Strike Avoidance Group's (USAG) strike damages report in 2020 revealed the estimated cost of utility strikes in 2019 was £261 million. The compensation and associated costs not only create substantial financial challenges but also cause major project delays. As a result, this could see around 1,305 homes not being built per year.

For residential developers and commercial construction teams alike, the risk is the same: unidentified underground assets discovered during construction are almost always more expensive to deal with than a survey would have been. The case for early engagement with a utilities consultant is straightforward on the numbers alone.

Bringing Construction Teams Together

Teams on a construction site can often work in silos and don’t tend to communicate with each other too frequently. Having a full overview of the entire project and able to plan ahead accordingly, utilities consultants bring construction teams together, ensuring a much more cohesive and collaborative approach. Consequently, projects are undertaken and completed safer, more efficiently and to the optimum standard.

Ultimately, utilities consultants offer an impartial and trusted support network for anyone working in the construction industry.

Working with Network Operators to Secure Best Value

Working alongside a broad range of Independent Connection Providers (ICPs), Independent Distribution Network Operators (IDNOs), New Appointments and Variations (NAVs) and newcomers to the market, utilities consultants have a broad understanding of asset values and receive feedback from a wide range of clients. Boasting incredible knowledge and expertise, they are able to interrogate network design and secure best value for money for their clients.

This network of relationships is particularly valuable when existing infrastructure presents constraints, as illustrated by the airfield project above. Where a less experienced team might accept a network operator's initial response, an experienced utilities consulting team has both the technical knowledge and the industry relationships to challenge assumptions, explore alternatives, and protect the client's budget and programme.

At Whitecode Consulting, our talented and experienced utilities consultants have decades of industry experience and expertise between them, helping clients from across the UK save unnecessary expenditure, make much more informed decisions and ensure smoother and more productive projects and processes.

Our utilities consulting service covers the full lifecycle of utility management, from pre-application surveys and capacity assessments through to connection agreements and ongoing network management. We work across a wide range of sectors including residential, commercial offices, healthcare, and education, and our work is always integrated with the wider MEP design and building analysis expertise available across our team.