Burning smell from electricity meter

salmon71 · 15 Jul 2019

I woke up at 3:00 am today to burning smell and sound from electricity meter. Immediately i pull down the two red switches to switch all electricity in flat off.

i have attached few images. Also directly above the meter unit is our bathroom. I noticed a damp ceiling, wall around meter and water inside meter as well. We are on the top floor, nobody above us. There is a pump shower installed in bathroom because of low gravity and poor pressure from shower.

Hopefully someone here can advice, enlighten me for the damage and cost.

One guy said first of you have to drain the water stored in ceiling, give it 42 hours and the deal with electronics, you can see black mark under the third switch.

chivers67 · 15 Jul 2019

Looks very much like your board has water ingress too, the MCBs might be ok but most likely need replacing and since it's split load the ones in your photograph aren't served by the RCD to the left. The Meter is pretty old so your DNO may well replace that for a Digital one. It's pretty difficult to give a figure without further investigation but I'd think at least a three figure sum.

salmon71 · 15 Jul 2019

Sorry what is meant by DNO and approx how much, you said three figure is that like £100-200

JohnD · 15 Jul 2019

@salmon71

You've had an Escape Of Water. Presumably you have Home Insurance. It will cover the repairs and replacement of damage caused by the leak. The leak repair (presumably a plumbing fault) is your responsibility to pay for. Call your Home Insurers at once. They will deal with immediate repairs to make the home safe straight away.

Until this has been done you should assume the house is not safe.

The same may apply to other homes in your block, especially if their meter is under yours.

If you look at your electricity bill you will find the name and phone no of the company that owns the distribution system (this may not be the same as the company that sends the bill) at the bottom. They will send someone to look at and possibly disconnect or replace the meter. it will say something like
"If you need to contact your local network operator, call
0800 123 4567 or write to
Anytown Electric Power Distribution PLC"

Example: https://www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk/

For London and SE:
"Please treat electricity cables as live, stay away and call us immediately on 0800 31 63 105 or 105."

Do it NOW.

salmon71 · 15 Jul 2019

Thank you, I already contacted my electricity provider SSE but they said we can only isolate it from our end which I have done anyway.

As for home insurance, I think I have content insurance not home insurance, and we live in a mansion purpose build flat block with other flats in building, ex-council. I think as part of mortgage there is building insurance but that covers I think major calamaity for whole block like earthquakes.

JohnD · 15 Jul 2019

If you mean SSE is the company that sends the bill, and you are in London, they are not the people I mean.

You sound like you don't want to do it.

Tell them water has leaked into the meter cabinet and you smell burning.

They will come.

salmon71 · 15 Jul 2019

Yes I just called just now, they will send someone who is nearest, keep you updated.

Thanks.

salmon71 · 15 Jul 2019

No they are not sending anyone, somebody came in morning while I was away anyway. They uk power network are telling me it’s a internal matter and have to get a electrician to do it.

They won’t replace it, and after electrician fix it then they asked us to call them Uk power network

phatboy · 16 Jul 2019

The buildings insurance should cover it, it is there to cover any damage to the structure, fixtures and fittings of the building. It is a mortgage requirement, so I'm sure it will be there.

Is that the electricity meter that someone comes to read, or you submit readings from? Just surprised there doesn't seem to be a service head of service fuse nearby? I'm very surprised they won't come!

JohnD · 16 Jul 2019

salmon71 said:
somebody came in morning

phatboy · 16 Jul 2019

salmon71 said:
No they are not sending anyone, somebody came in morning

?

JohnD · 16 Jul 2019

I think the conversation probably went something like

"can you come and look at my electric meter, water leaked on it?"

"we've already been, emergency callout earlier today. We looked at it and spoke to your wife/flatmate/mum and told them to get an electrician"

Of course, I could be wrong.

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Burning smell from electricity meter

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