And yet we are constantly told it is their property and no one else shall dare touch it.
Yep.
Moving a meter and cut out
- Thread starter Happyharry24
- Start date
I dare say in-situ there is absolutely nothing wrong it and would be good for another 50+ years. Our incomer is 50+ years old and whilst it looks that old, I'm sure the cores are just fine.
Always odd isn't it?
For all the years I've worked in the industry from "The Electricity Board" to the DNO, the complaints about the costs of a service alteration have always been a source of controversy!!
We went through a period when we would charge actual costs T & M on completion but found that over 25% of customers would then refuse to pay! So we had to go to pay up front - and this was in the days we were a nationalised industry.
So the price is too high (they always are) but often reduce afterwards or after a visit!
So the cable is being cut back, so tell me all you assembled folk, how is the jointer going to safely do this with it LIVE, there is a lot we can do to a live cable but certain operations we cannot do, pulling a LIVE cable back being one of them!! (though of course we could of course just disconnect the supply to the whole street or more to do that one operation dead).
For all the years I've worked in the industry from "The Electricity Board" to the DNO, the complaints about the costs of a service alteration have always been a source of controversy!!
We went through a period when we would charge actual costs T & M on completion but found that over 25% of customers would then refuse to pay! So we had to go to pay up front - and this was in the days we were a nationalised industry.
So the price is too high (they always are) but often reduce afterwards or after a visit!
So the cable is being cut back, so tell me all you assembled folk, how is the jointer going to safely do this with it LIVE, there is a lot we can do to a live cable but certain operations we cannot do, pulling a LIVE cable back being one of them!! (though of course we could of course just disconnect the supply to the whole street or more to do that one operation dead).
I can vouch for that. The price charged and paid up front for a new supply to my cottage was close to £3000 based on plans of the site. The surveyor visited the site to confirm the details of the work needed and made a suggestion to change the location of the connection to the street cable as it would save a few pennies. The refund was just over £ 2000. Price reduced by 2/3
Er, earlier you said it was an overhead supply, so why do they need to do what is an underground alteration??
Something doesn't add up here
Will an apology be forthcoming?
He said 5 years ago the overhead supply was replaced.
Cut them off. Simples.
FGS - just cut it and wrap some gaffer tape around the ends - what are you, men or mice?
You might be better off learning how to p*ss up a rope. It won't get you anywhere with respect to the cost of moving your service, but you will probably be able to pay for that with the advertising revenues from the video on YouTube.
At the end of the day, no matter how much you whinge and rant, you will have to choose between:
1) Paying whatever they decide to charge you.
2) Leaving the cutout and meter where they are.
Which in this village meant many of the over heads from house to pole were cut at the house wall and jointed to a cable pinned down the wall and into the ground where it was jointed to the newly installed street cable. There are terraces of properties with an ancient 3 phase and neutral bundle strung along at roof level that is now fed from a single "riser" from the ground. Many of these retained the TT earthing.
They aren't always bad. Recently, I needed the meter dropped to make space for a new consumer unit. British Gas came out initially to drop the meter on the existing board (a free service) and gave me a new electronic meter and at the same time fitted a cut out for free. They had a bit of trouble pulling the service fuse so they called Western Power and I ended up with a new service head lower than the old one, uprated service fuse, uprated tails on a new board lower than the old one as well. Four visits, all new kit in a more convenient location all and all for free if you don't count the cups of tea.
There was no digging trenches - they worked on the cables live so no making good after either.
OP's situation is slightly different I think - but the engineer when he arrives, as opposed to the staff on the call desk that man the telephones, can be very helpful. "Trick" seemed to be to get the engineer in to do the job that was free - moving the meter on the existing board and then get chatting to him and give him lots of tea
There was no digging trenches - they worked on the cables live so no making good after either.
OP's situation is slightly different I think - but the engineer when he arrives, as opposed to the staff on the call desk that man the telephones, can be very helpful. "Trick" seemed to be to get the engineer in to do the job that was free - moving the meter on the existing board and then get chatting to him and give him lots of tea
And even if it seems a pull back "easy" job they will hit you with £1k
God help you if the main need extending
And even if the job takes an hour they will charge you the quote.
Wasn't far away from the figure you quoted £950
I had my meter and service cutout moved by NEDL in 2007. I exposed old cable and laid duct and string to new outside meter box.
They pulled a new cable through and fitted new cutout, existing meter and new isolator and jointed to the old lead cable. Took about 2 hours. they also chnaged the fuse from 60a to 80a.
It was a fixed price £475 i think for up to 6 meters and then an extra £10 per meter up to 20m.
Standard domestic service alteration. They must do loads where people have extensions built etc. I thought all DNOs had a fixed price alteration policy and it only cost loads if you wanted extra capacity e.g. 3 phase or second supply?
They pulled a new cable through and fitted new cutout, existing meter and new isolator and jointed to the old lead cable. Took about 2 hours. they also chnaged the fuse from 60a to 80a.
It was a fixed price £475 i think for up to 6 meters and then an extra £10 per meter up to 20m.
Standard domestic service alteration. They must do loads where people have extensions built etc. I thought all DNOs had a fixed price alteration policy and it only cost loads if you wanted extra capacity e.g. 3 phase or second supply?
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