Meter condtion

[DeadBeat]

Im looking to have my electric meter moved before i have my house completely rewired, after researching on here its clear i just need to call my provider who will set the ball rolling. What I wanted to check with yourselves is, can you see anything in the following pictures that might make the installation unsafe or out of date? as it would be nice if the provider would cover some or all of the move due to it being old. Having looked at it last night its clear the internal side of the installation isn't the best, im counting the days untill its replaced, but the external side looks ok, the wire cover is frayed a bit but im guessing its not lethal, also the meter doesnt look that old?

just chancing my luck really.

does anyone know a rough cost to move a meter from an inside to an outside wall in the same location?

thanks

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Im looking to have my electric meter moved before i have my house completely rewired, after researching on here its clear i just need to call my provider who will set the ball rolling.

You need to contact your DNO, not the people from whom you buy your electricity.

What I wanted to check with yourselves is, can you see anything in the following pictures that might make the installation unsafe?

Yup - outgoing cables:

Too many
Too small
No earth in them​

as it would be nice if the provider would cover some or all of the move due to it being old.

No - if the meter needed replacing because of age the meter operator would do that FOC, but moving the supply would be chargeable.

the meter doesnt look that old?

Looks old to me. And is only rated for 40A, which might not be enough.

does anyone know a rough cost to move a meter from an inside to an outside wall in the same location?

More than is safe to find out unless sitting down.

 

[JohnW2]

the meter doesnt look that old?

Looks old to me. And is only rated for 40A, which might not be enough.

ISTR that we've been through this one before and concluded that nearly all of those electromechanical meters had/have "40A Max" written on them, but that this relates to the maximum current for which they had been calibrated, rather than the actual safe 'CCC' of the device. Many moons ago, I inherited three of those (one for each phase!), each labelled "40A Max" and each fed from an 80A cutout fuse.

Kind Regards, John

 

[flameport]

Of the items in the picture, the meter is by far the best item and will probably outlast any new electronic version.

The cables should be replaced.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

ISTR that we've been through this one before and concluded that nearly all of those electromechanical meters had/have "40A Max" written on them, but that this relates to the maximum current for which they had been calibrated, rather than the actual safe 'CCC' of the device.

I.e. the maximum current at which they are known to be accurate.

 

[JohnW2]

ISTR that we've been through this one before and concluded that nearly all of those electromechanical meters had/have "40A Max" written on them, but that this relates to the maximum current for which they had been calibrated, rather than the actual safe 'CCC' of the device.

I.e. the maximum current at which they are known to be accurate.

Exactly - but, as I said, that didn't/doesn't seem to stop suppliers using them for installations that theoretically could draw a lot more than 40A.

I suspect that the proportion of the time that an average house spends drawing more than 40A is so small that any small inaccuracies in metering currents >40A would have minimal impact (on either supplier or consumer).

Kind Regards, John

 

[DeadBeat]

ok So if i call the DNO, I can say, my electrician has suggested I get the meter inspected as he doesn't think that its safe and wont handle the load that were likely to put throught it?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Has he said that?

 

[MeterMonkey]

Just contact your DNO and inform them of the exposed live conductors at the meter. They will either send an engineer to recitify or tell you to contact your supplier to fix.

To move the electric meter, the cutout (black bit under the meter) is what needs moving and what will probably cost you £1200.

 

[DeadBeat]

EON have said they can move it less than a meter for £65 which might be enough for what i need although id prefer to have it outside.

however they told me to contact the DNO for meter changes as you guys advised, although i have yet to be able to talk to them as they go to answerphone.

 

[JohnW2]

EON have said they can move it less than a meter for £65 which might be enough for what i need although id prefer to have it outside.

That presumably assumes that the 'cutout' is going to stay where it is, in which case it's a pretty trivial job. It's having the cutout moved which may cost £000s.

Kind Regards, John

 

[MeterMonkey]

EON will only move the meter and not the cutout. Charging you £65 is a joke, BG will move the meter 2 meters away as long as its through no walls or cupboards for free. I anticipate that EON wont move the meter through walls either.

At very least you should get EON round to tidy up the tails and install an isolator&blocks.

 

[JohnW2]

Charging you £65 is a joke, BG will move the meter 2 meters away as long as its through no walls or cupboards for free.

That's pretty generous of BG. I have to say that I would personally not do anything which involved travelling for less than £65 - it just wouldn't be worth it.

Kind Regards, John

 

[MeterMonkey]

As we are salaried we don't get that choice!

 

[EFLImpudence]

BG will move the meter 2 meters away as long as its through no walls or cupboards for free.

Why?