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How to set up electric fence posts

Updated: October 2026

The usual mistake is to tread the first plastic post in the middle of the run, then discover the corner, the gate or the footpath. How to set up electric fence posts starts with a walk, then with anchors that can take the strain, and only then with the tread-in posts. You connect the energiser last, after the conductor is on and the earth is in the ground. The packs are on the [electric fence posts](/hub/fencing-and-wire/electric-fence-posts) comparison. Peter F. checked those amazon.co.uk listings on 19 October 2026. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. If a bridleway is the boundary you were about to follow, stop before the steps below.

The usual mistake is to tread the first plastic post in the middle of the run, then discover the corner, the gate or the footpath.

Our top picks

Rutland Rutland Economy 84 cm poly post, green, 10

Best overall

Rutland Rutland Economy 84 cm poly post, green, 10
7.3/10about £27.99
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Doblit Doblit 156 cm poly post, white, 20

Rank 2

Doblit Doblit 156 cm poly post, white, 20
6.6/10about £63.99
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Doblit Doblit 105 cm poly post, green, 20

Best value

Doblit Doblit 105 cm poly post, green, 20
6.7/10about £38.00
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Walk the line before you open the pack
  2. 2.Tread the line posts in
  3. 3.Spacing is a range
  4. 4.Conductor, earth, then the energiser
  5. 5.Stop if the public or a power line is involved

Walk the line before you open the pack

Mark the ends, the corners and the gateway before you mark the line posts. AHDB’s notes still want a gateway you can open, with an insulated handle rather than a bare join. Look for a public footpath, a bridleway or a road. GOV.UK treats a fence across a public right of way as a possible obstruction. The Highways Act 1980, section 162, covers a dangerous wire across a highway. The British Horse Society advises against electric fencing beside equestrian routes. Ask the highway authority before you cross a path. If the line is only a division inside a paddock, that limit sits on the horse paddock page.

Tread the line posts in

Set the strainers first, in timber or steel, so the plastic posts only hold the conductor up. Tread a poly post in on the footplate or the step. Do not hammer the plastic crown, and do not hammer a fibreglass rod. Doblit’s 105 cm posts state an 18 cm spike, and the 156 cm posts state 23 cm. If the ground is stone, change the post or the line. On a slope, put the line posts closer, because the conductor lifts on the crest and sags in the dip.
Rutland Rutland Economy 84 cm poly post, green, 10

Testsieger

Rutland Rutland Economy 84 cm poly post, green, 10
7.3/10about £27.99
View offer

Spacing is a range

There is no single UK spacing law. AHDB’s temporary guidance runs from about 4 m on rolling ground up to about 25 m on the flat for trained stock. Retailer pages often say 3 m to 5 m where horses and tape are involved. Do not average shop charts into one official gap. If the conductor sags or lifts, the gap is too wide. The buying guide is where you match post length to the animal before you pace the field.

Conductor, earth, then the energiser

Clip the conductor so it is not rubbing the metal spike. One energiser feeds one fence. Voltimum’s summary of BS EN IEC 60335-2-76 describes a pulse of about one a second, a short duration, and a 5 joule class limit, and it calls for a 30 mA RCD on a mains unit. Keep the fence earth at least 10 m from the mains earth. Do not electrify barbed wire. The warning sign is at least 100 mm by 200 mm, yellow both sides, letters at least 25 mm. Connect the energiser when the path is settled and the corners are real anchors.

Stop if the public or a power line is involved

Stop if the line would cross a footpath, a bridleway or a road, and speak to the highway authority. Stop if you cannot see an old barbed wire, if the fence would sit under an overhead power line you are not sure about, if the corners need dug-in strainers, or if a mains energiser has to live in a building. A live wire across a path is not a layout problem you can tidy later. How the rod flexes is the plastic or fibreglass comparison.

Common questions

What do I put in before the line posts?
The anchors at the ends, the corners and the gateway, and a decision about any public path. Plastic and fibreglass tread-ins come after that. If you start in the middle, you will pace a neat line into a corner that cannot hold the tape.
How far apart should the posts be?
Use AHDB’s range as guidance for trained cattle and sheep, from a few metres on rolling ground up to about 25 m on the flat, and treat retailer figures of about 3 m to 5 m as a different, tighter guide. There is no single statutory gap. If the conductor sags or lifts, close the spacing for that bay.
Can I hammer the top of a plastic or fibreglass post?
No. Tread on the step or the footplate. Hammering the crown cracks plastic, and US notes on one 122 cm pack describe tops breaking under a rubber mallet. If the spike will not enter, the ground is the problem. A different post, or a moved line, beats a broken top.
What if a footpath crosses the line?
Do not energise across it and hope the signs will do. A fence on a public right of way can be an obstruction, and a wire across a highway sits under section 162 of the Highways Act 1980. Ask the highway authority. An insulated crossing and a break in the current are the sort of arrangement Cornwall describes, not a DIY guess.
When do I connect the energiser?
After the anchors and the line posts are in, the conductor is in the clips, the earth rod is in the ground at least 10 m from the mains earth, and the path question is clear. Then test at the far end. A flashing light on the unit is not that test.
When should I stop and get a professional?
When the line meets a footpath, bridleway or road, when it runs near an overhead line you cannot identify, when strainers have to be dug in, or when a mains unit needs a proper supply in a building. Also stop if live wire and barbed wire are mixed and you cannot trace the old wire. The posts themselves are the simple part.

Related pages

Electric fence energiser comparison

Electric fence posts

Best electric fence posts: who each listing is for

Electric fence posts buying guide, height and clips

Electric fence posts for horses inside a real fence

Plastic or fibreglass electric fence posts compared

Sources

Public UK sources listed below, checked on 19 October 2026. amazon.co.uk prices and review counts are taken from the listings in this comparison and can change.

  1. AHDB: Components of an electric fence (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. AHDB: Types of electric fencing for cattle and sheep (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. Highways Act 1980, section 162 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. GOV.UK: public rights of way, landowner responsibilities (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. British Horse Society: fencing (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. British Horse Society: electric fencing near bridleways (March 2026) (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. Voltimum UK on BS EN 60335-2-76 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. Cornwall Council: electric fence notes for landowners (retrieved 19 October 2026)