Consumer Unit to Supply final connection - who do I talk to?

mikesevers · 5 Aug 2005

Hi everyone,

I'm installing a new consumer unit to which I'm connecting a new ring main around our kitchen and another around our attached garage.

I've contacted the council regarding inspection with respect to Part P and they're being extremely helpful.

Only thing I'm not insterested in doing is the final connection to the meter in parallel with the existing CU. I gather I cannot pull the supply fuse (or can I?) as this has seals. So, I've spent about 45 minutes this morning talking to both Seeboard (the people I pay the bills to) and EDF-Energy who look after the distribution. I seem to be going in circles!

Neither wish to have anything to do with it. Seeboard say that it's and EDF-Energy issue, EDF-Energy say anything beyond the meter is Seeboard.

Who on earth do I talk to to get it done - or do I just need to pay a local electricial to do the final connect? I've rung about 10 different numbers this morning already!

Many thanks for any advice.

Area is Elmbridge, Surry BTW

TIA,

Mike

andy · 5 Aug 2005

you cant break the seals so you have to get your DNO to fit an isolator between the meter and CU. once he has done that, you wire the isolator into a henly block to split the tails. 1 to old CU and 1 to the new CU

mikesevers · 5 Aug 2005

Andrew,

thanks for the reply. So in this case my DNO is EDF-Energy, the distribution network rather than who I pay the bills to? Any idea which department I should talk to - everyone I've spoken to so far doesn't seem to want to touch anything beyond the meter.

Thanks again,

Mike

andy · 5 Aug 2005

mikesevers said:
Andrew,

thanks for the reply. So in this case my DNO is EDF-Energy, the distribution network rather than who I pay the bills to? Any idea which department I should talk to - everyone I've spoken to so far doesn't seem to want to touch anything beyond the meter.

Thanks again,

Mike

its the DNO you talk to, not the supplier. tell them that you want an isolator fitted (altho some DNO's charge to do this)

mikesevers · 5 Aug 2005

I seem to be getting nowhere with this!

Upon speaking to the DNO they say I need to speak to the meter operators to arrange to have the fuse removed while an electrician appointed by me fits the isolator and then the meter operator will reinstate the fuse. They don't seem to offer a fitting service themselves.

Has anyone else on the forum managed to have this sort of work done through Seeboard?

Mike

Qedelec · 5 Aug 2005

Mike
You might find an electrician to connect without pulling the fuse but this is not recommended and he would need a pair of rubber wellies and rubber gloves.
I have been to many installations where the seals had been cut, so some people have taken no notice of the rules and considering your problems, who could blame them.

DyslexicGrimsbySparkie · 5 Aug 2005

A colleague of mine is currently in the same debacle as you. The supply (billing) is done by Npower but the DNO is what was Yorkshire Electricity (YEDL). YEDL are passing the buck over to Npower and Npower are passing it back.

I have not seen this type of problem where the customer's electricity is billed and supply by the DNO (or their relavent retail arm)

andy · 5 Aug 2005

depending on how you feel about pullin the fuse, you could always do it yourself. altho it is not recommended for DIYers with no/little experiance, it can be done

Diyisfun · 5 Aug 2005

Its not you cant pull the fuse..Its you are not supposed to.
Pull it...If ever its spotted, the previous occupier did it.
I think thats what most people would do & say.
Why are rules there?
So we can break them.

photon · 5 Aug 2005

I am having exactly the same problem , see my thread here titled

"moving electricity meter"

DNO is not service provider with me too.

DNO and service provider both claim other is responsible for meter connection issues.

mikesevers · 5 Aug 2005

Thanks everyone for your replies. It certainly seems to be a common problem.

I'm now thinking that it might be best for me to contact the electrician that the council use to inspect DIY work for Part P. Maybe (s)he'll do it at the same time as testing the circuits.

I wish I'd started this investigation a bit earlier though. I'm supposed to be completing first fix during next week and the electrician should be coming on 19th to inspect the copleted wiring. I can see me leaving the old circuit there alongside the new until I can get the supply situation sorted.

Will the new circuits be able to be tested properly without being connected to the supply?

Thanks again,

Mike

andy · 5 Aug 2005

mikesevers said:
Thanks everyone for your replies. It certainly seems to be a common problem.

I'm now thinking that it might be best for me to contact the electrician that the council use to inspect DIY work for Part P. Maybe (s)he'll do it at the same time as testing the circuits.

I wish I'd started this investigation a bit earlier though. I'm supposed to be completing first fix during next week and the electrician should be coming on 19th to inspect the copleted wiring. I can see me leaving the old circuit there alongside the new until I can get the supply situation sorted.

Will the new circuits be able to be tested properly without being connected to the supply?

Thanks again,

Mike

you do some tests dead. but you need the supply to do the earth loop and RCD tests. and if the electrician is only coming to test, i doubt hell connect up at the same time w/o charging you more. and who is doing the second fix? it cant be tested until after everything is complete

ban-all-sheds · 5 Aug 2005

mikesevers said:
the electrician that the council use to inspect DIY work for Part P.

I hope that you haven't let the council get away with charging you extra for this, over and above the standard LABC fee for notifying work?

Nige F · 6 Aug 2005

Seeboard

I`ve witnessed them blow up appliances in the houses in a street because they couldn`t connect a new transformer properly. and leave half a street without power because they couldn`t get another transformer under a building that some overpaid "surveyor" couldn`t manage to measure the gap. Clowns doesn`t adequately describe them

dinger541 · 6 Aug 2005

Mike,

Im only the rookie in here who askd lots of questions and gets lots of advice..

I replaced my CU last year prior to the complete rewire of the house. Unfortunatly im in the North of Scotland but my local electric said i could pull the fuse and break the seals as long as they were informed. They were to replace the seals on the next meter check. It took a year and several checks before they actually did this but no one ever hastled me because ide informed them.

Problem is (and i'll bow to the expertise in here) the rules are probably different in Engerland

Dinger

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Consumer Unit to Supply final connection - who do I talk to?

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