Electric Meter Overloaded?

Gabriel12311 · 10 Jan 2021

Hi,

While looking at my electric meter earlier, I noticed it says MAX 40 A on it. Is this something to worry about? Considering I have a 4 bedroom house, with two Ring Mains 32 A each. And two electric showers, both One 10.8 kW. This alone is a worry:

10800/230 V = 47 Amps so just one shower with nothing else on will instantly overload the meter. Is this something to worry about?

Cheers In Advance

EFLImpudence · 10 Jan 2021

How long has it been there?

JohnD · 10 Jan 2021

they are made so they are pretty resilient, but if you use both electric showers at the same time, it's possible you will blow the main fuse (which is probably more than 40A, and, I can see, appears to have been opened by an unauthorised person, since it is not sealed). There are lots of installations that are very old and still working fine.

If you inform your electricity company* they will probably fit a new meter when they get round to it. They will probably want to fit a "smart meter" unless you object.

Feel the meter occasionally and see if it ever feels or smells hot. If you ever see black tar dribbling out near the company fuse, tell the electricity co and remind them you only have a 40A meter and this might stir them to change it.

*the "call centre" phone people are not very highly trained, so if your problem is not included in their script, wite a very very short letter setting out your key point, and your Meterpoint Number (begins with an "S" and is shown on the bill) and post it. It will be logged and passed along until it reaches someone who knows what to do. Meters and fuses are (probably) not fitted by your supplier, but by another company that your supplier is responsible for contacting.

JohnD · 10 Jan 2021

EFLImpudence said:
How long has it been there?

Since at least 1990, when NEEB was privatised and renamed.
newer than 1948, when NEEB was set up.

The incoming supply is older, possibly 1920's or 1930's

I'd expected to see the Certification year stamped on the front plate and visible through the glass window, but I can't see it. Is it stamped anywhere you can see?

pete50 · 10 Jan 2021

That's what we had up until a couple of years ago when the leccy board came and put a little plastic doobry in with a red light and a little meter. Our house was built in 1962. As far as I can tell most of the wiring is original and we still have a wired fuse box. I will get it all changed when I win the lottery but in the meantime it is what it is.

JohnD · 10 Jan 2021

Here we are

dates of manufacture (it might have been fitted later, and issued from company warehouse stock):

Chamberlain & Hookham Ltd: type K
Date: 1952-1966

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2719174

Gabriel12311 · 10 Jan 2021

Thanks for the replies. Could the certification year on the meter be the bit stamped on where out says 'C. 67.' as in 1967? I would rather not have a Smart Meter. Here is the main incoming supply which is probably original? House was built in 1930. I would expect the cable to be original anyways. As for the meter, I will keep it, I have never noticed it get hot or smell, only see how comically fast it spins when the shower is on. I have never removed the seals from any of the equipment. It has been untouched as far as I can tell.

JohnD · 10 Jan 2021

yes, the incoming supply and the backboard (notice it is spaced off the wall with ceramic washers) are typical of 1920's and 1930's

The service head appears to be black plastic, not cast iron, so is not original.

The main earthing arrangement looks to have been modernised, but is not very good. I hope the various green and yellow cables come together in, or connected to, your main Consumer Unit ("fusebox")

Gabriel12311 · 10 Jan 2021

I hope it is safe. I have no idea who modernised it to a poor standard. They do come out of our consumer unit, so id imagine that they would be connected together inside. It is RCD protected and is probably the most modern thing there.

Looking at the thickness of the incoming supply cable, it looks to be thinner than the two tails going to the meter, could this be problematic or is it something not worth worrying about? If it has been fine for 90 years it will do for now. Cant imagine Northern Electric would allow something potentially dangerous to be done with the cable sizing

SUNRAY · 10 Jan 2021

I've always understood the wheel type meters are designed for 100% overload.

Are those black covers common or even regional?

When I rewired my first house I removed the head and meter from the wall to arrange tempories for damp treatment [with verbal permission from SEEBoard]. When I reinstated I provided 3x2" plastic trunking under the meter, inspector said I had to remove it.

Gabriel12311 · 10 Jan 2021

SUNRAY said:
I've always understood the wheel type meters are designed for 100% overload.

Are those black covers common or even regional?

When I rewired my first house I removed the head and meter from the wall to arrange tempories for damp treatment [with verbal permission from SEEBoard]. When I reinstated I provided 3x2" plastic trunking under the meter, inspector said I had to remove it.

Which black covers?

SUNRAY · 10 Jan 2021

Gabriel12311 said:
Which black covers?

I've never knowingly seen these before:

RF Lighting · 10 Jan 2021

SUNRAY said:
Are those black covers common or even regional?

They were fitted by my DNO for a bit back in the day. I don’t see many of them about any more and they don’t really actually achieve much anyway.

JohnD · 10 Jan 2021

Gabriel12311 said:
incoming supply cable, it looks to be thinner than the two tails

upsteam of the meter, the cable sizes (and other things) are not subject to the same regulations as domestic wiring. The cables are commonly lighter gauge. The electricity industry is aware that the average current usage per house is something ridiculously low (I forget the number, might be 5kW or something) so their network is not sized to take the maximum permissible current.

When and if they get failures, they repair and sometimes upgrade them. There is constant "Network Reinforcement" work going on.

Gabriel12311 · 10 Jan 2021

I have not seen them before, and now after researching other people's 'Set-ups' they seem to be quite rare, The bit of black plastic which looks 'matte' is soft feeling, with two hard end caps. No idea what they do other than cover the wires

Thanks for that, I won't worry about the main incoming cable then. Wonder how old it will be before it gets replaced, if ever

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Electric Meter Overloaded?

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