Placing Electricity meter under stairs

[Markbon]

Just wondered if anyone knows anything about this. I had been told by someone for UK power that you cant have a meter repositioned under the stairs anymore. My Electrician hadn't heard about this rule, another one I know said its not true and someone else from UK power who I spoke to on the phone seemed to think it is sometimes possible.
Any ideas?

 

[JohnW2]

Just wondered if anyone knows anything about this. I had been told by someone for UK power that you cant have a meter repositioned under the stairs anymore. My Electrician hadn't heard about this rule, another one I know said its not true and someone else from UK power who I spoke to on the phone seemed to think it is sometimes possible. Any ideas?

If it's "a rule", I think it must be a "UK Power rule" - and I suppose they are free to make whatever rules they like. However, you are, these days, equally free to 'swap' to a different supplier (perhaps after asking the proposed new one about their 'rules' ).

Kind Regards, John

 

[plugwash]

Would swapping to a new "supplier" help though? I was under the impression that meters were pretty much always installed next to the DNO supply head, so if the DNO won't fit the supply head in the location you want then i'm not sure switching to another supplier would help.

 

[JohnW2]

Would swapping to a new "supplier" help though? I was under the impression that meters were pretty much always installed next to the DNO supply head, so if the DNO won't fit the supply head in the location you want then i'm not sure switching to another supplier would help.

Ah, maybe - I had forgotten that UK Power was a DNO, not supplier - it was the reference to 'moving the meter' which influenced my brain!

However, I think it gets a bit more complicated, given that the OP merely said that he wanted the meter moved to under the stairs, not that he wanted the service head to be moved and I thought that the supplier (or their subcontractor), not the DNO, was responsibly for the connection between cutout and meter? Is that wrong?

Kind Regards, John

 

[Markbon]

Thanks for comments gents. Had an agent from UK power round on Friday, She said no meters in confined spaces incase theres an arc or something.

 

[JohnW2]

Thanks for comments gents. Had an agent from UK power round on Friday, She said no meters in confined spaces incase theres an arc or something.

That seems crazy. If one counts cupboards etc. as 'confined spaces' (not to mention the 'under stairs', which is where very many still are), that must account for a very substantial proportion of all meters!

Kind Regards, John

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

That seems crazy. If one counts cupboards etc. as 'confined spaces' (not to mention the 'under stairs', which is where very many still are), that must account for a very substantial proportion of all meters!

Kind Regards, John

The same with gas meters, they have to be accessible and that usually means outside. What they were once prepared to do, has changed.

 

[JohnW2]

The same with gas meters, they have to be accessible and that usually means outside. What they were once prepared to do, has changed.

If they're saying that they are only prepared to relocate it outside (even if is a very 'confined space') then that's presumably what they should be saying. However, if they are ever prepared to 'relocate inside' (and I know of many cases in which DNOs have done that in fairly recent times) then, as I said, to say that it cannot be located 'in a confined space' is surely unrealistic, isn't it?

In any event, as I've said before, if what the OP wants to be relocated is just 'the meter', then that rather changes things (and doesn't necessarily involve the DNO much, if at all),doesn't it?

Kind Regards, John

 

[EFLImpudence]

if what the OP wants to be relocated is just 'the meter',

I wonder if that is what he actually meant.

 

[JohnW2]

I wonder if that is what he actually meant.

Yes, so do I, but it's certainly what he wrote - but I did include "IF"s in my statements!.

If it is literally what he meant, then, as I said before, although I think that it is quite common in commercial installation, and in 'blocks of flat', I can't say that I can recall having seen a single domestic installation in which the meter was appreciably 'remote from' the service head/'cutout', so I don't know what 'rules' a DNO might try to impose in that situation. Having said that, I thought that the connection between cutout and meter was not the DNO's responsibility (or ownership) - so, if that is the case, "not really any of their business" (i.e. something they could 'make rules' about). Do you know what the situation actually is?

Kind Regards, John

 

[Markbon]

I'm not sure what the dno is. The electrician pointed at something the other week and said only UK per can move that bit. In now assume he was talking about the dno. It's a Shame because British gas want to upgrade the meter and apparently could move it a couple is metres for nothing,
The dno is going to cost over£1100.

 

[JohnW2]

I'm not sure what the dno is. The electrician pointed at something the other week and said only UK per can move that bit. In now assume he was talking about the dno.

That's correct - in your case, UK Power Networks is your "DNO" (Distribution Network Operator).

It's a Shame because British gas want to upgrade the meter and apparently could move it a couple is metres for nothing, The dno is going to cost over£1100.

Just to be clear, what exactly is it that you want to be moved - literally just the meter, or also "the bit" (belonging to the DNO) which your electrician pointed at?

Kind Regards, John

 

[SUNRAY]

That's correct - in your case, UK Power Networks is your "DNO" (Distribution Network Operator).
Just to be clear, what exactly is it that you want to be moved - literally just the meter, or also "the bit" (belonging to the DNO) which your electrician pointed at?

Kind Regards, John

I've only knowingly come across meter remote from the head once and basically DNO added a second head, presumeably one of them had links rather than fuses.

 

[JohnW2]

I've only knowingly come across meter remote from the head once and basically DNO added a second head, presumeably one of them had links rather than fuses.

As I've said, I've personally never seen it in a single domestic dwelling - but, as I said, (and although I have virtually no experience of this) I thought it was quite common in 'commercial' situations, including blocks of flats. Is that not the case?

Kind Regards, John

 

[Markbon]

I've attached a picture of everything. I assume it's one of the black things that's only power UK can move?