Neighbours in a Brighton street are being driven mad by a low-pitched noise they have dubbed the Hanover hum.
The noise from the substation in Beaufort Terrace has been getting gradually louder this year to the point it can now be heard inside the houses on the other side of the road.
And while it’s difficult to hear on windy days or above the sound of the TV, when it’s quiet it’s driving some to distraction.
Click below to listen to the Hanover hum.
Author Dave Bramwell, who lives a stone’s throw from the substation, said: “I don’t even like walking into my front room any more. It’s miserable being in here.
“Six years ago I wrote a book called The Mysterium about unexplained phenomena and one of the things I wrote about was mysterious hums.
“It began in Bristol then spread around the country and people came up with conspiracies like farting fish to explain it but nobody has ever been able to place where these sounds come from.
“I never thought I would be on the receiving end of hum, not a mysterious one, but one that disturbs my peaceful existence.”
He said he first became aware of the hum in February, but it wasn’t until May that he traced it to the substation and got in contact with UK Power Networks.
While he could only hear it in his front room at first, the sound is now audible from other areas of the house.
His neighbour Steve Reeves could hear it in May, but it wasn’t until he came back from a four-week holiday in September that it began to annoy him.
He said: “When Dave first told me about it, I thought he was nuts. But we had a little listen and you could hear it.
“Then I went away for four weeks and when we came back thought I can hear that noise – it suggests to me it’s getting worse because I didn’t hear it before.
“I spoke to the UK Power Networks guy and he said they’re all old, those transformers. He said we can’t be arsed to replace them because it costs too much. He was just being really honest with me.
“The transformers aren’t powerful enough to take the load of the 21st century. If the load is excessive it’s going to make a noise.
“The council’s noise team have also been round – but when it was really windy.
“It ruins your peace and quiet. It’s ruining my home life but they said we can’t hear anything.
“I told them you need to give me some equipment so I can put it up, but environmental health says our equipment isn’t good enough.
“The legislation isn’t about how loud the noise is, it’s whether it causes a nuisance or not.”
They say other neighbours in the street can also hear the hum.
A spokeswoman for UK Power Networks said: “Our engineer visited the site and confirmed the substation was operating correctly without abnormal noise.
“Acoustic modelling was also completed and found no indication that the substation could be exceeding statutory noise standards.
“We are also working with the local authority’s environmental health team who can perform an independent assessment of all possible sources in the area.”
Councillor Tim Rowkins, cabinet member for environmental services at Brighton and Hove City Council, said: “I can absolutely appreciate the frustration of residents who are being impacted by this.
“We have received two complaints and are investigating. As well as recent site visits, we have issued noise diaries to the residents who have complained and will use these to help us further understand the impact if and when they are returned.
“Our team has been in touch with UK Power Networks, which operates the substation, to see if anything can be done to address the issue.
“We will also be returning to the site on up to three more occasions to measure the disturbance before considering further action, which could include undertaking a full acoustic assessment.”
Power networks will do anything or use any excuse to deal with any issues such as this, and service head replacement. Cheapskates.
i empathise. some people are extremely sensitive to low-frequency noise. others are simply insensitive, if they can’t hear it then it doesn’t exist. the first stage of the Rampion windfarm kept me awake for months, they worked every night drilling into the seabed and it destroyed my sleep and peace of mind, i was a wreck. don’t give up, you have identified the source and they need to fix it. i wish you the best.
Is it time for renewable energy schemes in muesli mountain if their electricity consumption is pushing the substation that hard? #justsaying
Let’s put this all into perspective; women in Rottingdean are having their underwear stolen from washing lines, and the Police are doing absolutely nothing about it. If it’s a toss-up between a ‘hum”, or a panty-pincher roaming the streets at night, I know what I consider to be more serious.
There were some incidents around 2024 when people were stealing ladies ‘delicates’ in Portslade; my sister had items removed from her washing line in Hallyburton Road, Portslade.
I had to buy her a tumbler/dryer (or whatever they call it these days) so she didn’t have to put items on her washing line.
I think it’s dreadful that people who don’t have to put up with this constant humming are making the decision that it’s acceptable for those who do. They need to sort this out with no excuses.
I empathize. Hum at low level occuring in Shoreham area, been over a year now. Portslade much longer. Environmental health dismissed it. Myself and neighbours impacted. Have to sleep with earplugs.