£5580 to move meter inside house by December 2011

[sa321]

This is beyond believe! Is this for real or am I stupid? I have an old terraced house in London with main cable running along the wall of a garage (5-7m) with ancient meter at the end.

I have asked UK Power Networks to move the meeter and the quote I got is 5580 !!! with completion December2011! they didnt event come to see it once.

did i asked something wrong?

thanks in advance for all your help

 

[ColJack]

moved to where?
if it's the other side of the house and needs half the road excavated to run in a new cable then it's a whole different ballgame to if it's to the other end of the garage with only having to shorten the existing cable..

 

[martinxxxxxx]

I think I know a way round your predicament, I have sent you a friend request. Please accept it and I will tell you what I know.

I don't like posting some advice on an open forum

Martin

 

[ColJack]

Do NOT advise him to move it himself or to call the DNO and report that "the cutout is damaged" or "he can hear a crackling sound"..

 

[flameport]

I don't like posting some advice on an open forum

If it isn't suitable for an open forum, then whatever it is shouldn't be done.

 

[sa321]

moved to where?
if it's to the other end of the garage with only having to shorten the existing cable..

so if that is the case (i.e. I dont need new cable I am happy with this one) and i need to move the meeter up or down 1 meter what should I do?

how can I explain it to DNO?

P.S. if this cable is a property of DNO do they have any obligation to maintain it? how long do these cables suppose to last? 100 years?

 

[Stoday]

In principle, you can get a contractor of your choice to do it. He has to be approved for working on the DNO's installation.

Ask UK Power Networks for a list of contractors approved for the provision of connections.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I don't like posting some advice on an open forum

If it isn't suitable for an open forum, then whatever it is shouldn't be done.

Absolutely.

sa321 - there's no hidden argument going on here between martin and others - if he's telling you to do things which he's not prepared to say in public then there's probably a jolly good reason he wants to keep his advice from being scrutinised.

Whatever that reason is it will probably be an equally jolly good one for you to not do what he suggests.

 

[holmslaw]

..

 

[Wontdothatagain]

The only way you will get this work done for free is if the cable or the service head is no longer fit for purpose or there is a fault. So i can only assume that the hidden advise is to create a fault or render the equipment unfit which is complete and utter lunacy.

Remember, if you make a mistake, your arse is fried, the next protection devise down the line requires a huge amount of current to cause it to open.

There are other options to moving the service head, give us more details, post some more pictures and explain what you want to achieve in more detail, we will help if we can.

A complete rewire of the property would probably cost less than 5k as long as we are not talking about Windsor Castle.

 

[sa321]

thank you for your help. what pictures are required? i can post any as i will go and take it. i was told that in London only one DNO who can touch it and since it involves cable I was told they have to disconnect it from the grid to move even half a meter. (i dont require new entrance into the house only need it to be moved on the same wall as in the picture)

the DNO told me cable is too old to be moved (though they have no records of it and didnt even come to see it).

i am afraid to sign for a 6k quote as that seems insane

P.S. the wall on the picture is 6 long and 2.8 high

 

[Wontdothatagain]

I presume, you want to move your fuse board? Where do you want to move it to, how far is it going to be from the service head.

Pictures of the existing fuse board and the service head will help.

 

[martinxxxxxx]

Hi All

ELECTRICITY CAN KILL - DON'T MESS WITH IT

Sorry, DON'T WORRY guys, I am NOT about to start giving people advice on moving things like this themselves. It was more of how to interface with the bueracracy of the DNO that I was going advise on. Nothing illegal or dangerous. Just to share my thoughts on how tp get this estimate down.


DON'T EVER TOUCH DNO EQUIPMENT UNLESS AUTHORISED AND TRAINED TO DO SO. IT IS ILLEGAL AND VERY VERY DANGEROUS.
[/b]

 

[martinxxxxxx]

Do NOT advise him to:-

a) move it himself

b) or to call the DNO and report that "the cutout is damaged" or

c) "he can hear a crackling sound"..

I have not yet advised anything in private.

I can fully understand and agree that a) would be unthinkably bad advice from your list of things that one must not do.

I have heard that while fixing faults the jointers can be very accommodating. So if there were some reason to call them...

 

[Nige F]

jointers A friend accidentally damaged a incoming power cable that runs up the house wall @ the front then all the way round the soffit/facia tucked away ( that`s where it got damaged ) local elec. board or whatever they call themselves turned up and debated running the cable through the roof - nah too difficult so they just joined the ends where the damage was I`ve got 2 other stories of their incompetence but I`m keeping that to myself