ESB shells out thousands to landowners in pole compensation

ESB has paid out at least €217,000 this year to landowners, as compensation for poles and masts on their land.

There are two types of compensation payments from the ESB – a wooden pole payment and a steel mast payment.

The minimum compensation payable this year for a single 38KV wooden pole is €10.85, up from €9.95 paid in 2010. The payment rates are reviewed regularly.

For a regular wooden pole over 9ft, this year the ESB has paid €38.82 per pole to the landowner.

The ESB has paid €271.37 per mast to landowners for steel masts over 16.8m in height. This was an increase of €22.63 per mast on 2010.

When asked by the Irish Farmers Journal how much compensation the ESB has paid out in the last five years to landowners, the company’s spokesperson said information relating to payments is “commercially sensitive”.

There are almost 20,000 landowners on the ESB database, the spokesperson said.

Based on this number of landowners and the minimum compensation rate, the ESB would have paid at least €217,000 to landowners this year.

However, the actual amount of compensation is likely to be much greater.

Sometimes, the bases of steel electricity masts or double wood poles may interfere with everyday farming practices, according to the ESB.

“If this happens, you are entitled to an annual compensation payment from ESB Networks,” its website reads.

Payments

“Payments are made in the first quarter of each year for electricity lines of 38kV and above,” it says.

Once a landowner is set up on the ESB database, the payments are made automatically each year, with no need for landowners to make an annual application.

The rates of payment are updated each year, in line with the consumer price index.

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