ELECTRIC METER - MOVING ONE 2.5" TO AN OUTSIDE WALL

[jbbrooks]

I want to have an electricity meter moved about 2.5 inches from the inside wall to the exact position on the outside wall. The wall is a standard one.

It runs from an underground supply which enters the property at the exact spot where I want the meter to be placed.

Having spoken to NPower, I then received over 12 pages of info from Central Networks which was difficult to understand. I rang Central Networks and was told that to do this apparently tiny job would be £400 - even though there is going to be slightly less cable used and it is a case of disconnecting, moving 2-3" and reconnecting. As guessed, it appears this is a monopoly and no-one else can do the job.

Does anyone else have experience of this apparently excessive cost for a very small job?

I would be interested to hear your views.

 

[mapj1]

This sounds about right to me - moveing the meter 2 inches or 2 metres, once the feed cable has to be cut into, and it is more complex than removing the company fuse, you are paying either for the street to be cut off, or more likely a live working operation, which will be 100 pounds per person day to them. They have to administer it, and probably aren't making much profit on this operation, and it may even be subcontracted.
Be pleased you didn't want a new supply laid on - you'd have been looking at a few thousand. sorry about that.

 

[jbbrooks]

Many thanks for your quick response - looks like I might have to think again!

Best wishes

Jacqueline

 

[dw3101]

smash a hole through the wall and ask them to push it out and shove it in a meter box.. will still probably cost the same, even with 'no' disconnection!

They also have to cover there arses insurance wise etc.

 

[Sandy Beech]

+20 years back I was quoted around £90-00 for doing a similar operation so looks about right.

 

[jbbrooks]

Really interesting to hear your views - the property is relatively isolated so I don't think the lane needs to be cut off (but then I don't really know what I'm talking about!). I do wonder whether it would cost as much if I was able to get quotes rather than being over a barrel!

 

[masona]

I think I paid over £700 for gas and electric meter to go outside approximately 3m a few years ago!

 

[jbbrooks]

Phew! I'm stunned by these charges - I'm obviously in the wrong profession ......!

 

[mildmanneredjanitor]

I think its safe to assume that the person carrying out the work is on a fraction of what you are paying...

 

[masona]

Phew! I'm stunned by these charges - I'm obviously in the wrong profession ......!

No I don't think so! the electrician has to cut the main cable live, a dangerous job.

 

[jbbrooks]

I had no idea they had to cut the cable live. Why on earth don't they cut it off first? Presumably it needs to be off only for a few minutes?

 

[Lectrician]

They would need to isolate it for atleast an hour, plus the time taken to isolate and re-energise.

With so many linesman and jointsman working on the network in any day, if they isolated for every job, we would all be left with no power!

90% of there day to day work is done live. The only work done on dead kit is on new installs, where the cable doesn't yet need to be in service.

 

[bigzed]

I thought at first that the quote I received for a meter move was extortionate until I started to realise what was involved. I can get small belts off telephone cables when I'm working on them and that's only 75 volts when ringing.

If a dno jointer has to work live on a cable to re-joint a new feed from the main supply running the length of the street, he's exposing himself to 415V ( or is it 440V ? )

If the work is contracted out & the charge is £335 ( as it was in my case ) I bet the dno are losing on the job. If we do a simple 50 pair cable c/o, it costs BT about £400, even though we only get about £75 for it !!

I can't see electrical contractor companies doing all that work, digging etc ( which we don't have to do coz the cables are almost always in boxes ) for £335.

 

[Roo]

The fault potential of a cutout in our area is 16,000volts.

This is calculated as we have 4 power stations all supplying around 4000 volts each.

Or so I was told by the fella that trains us.

So I would have thought £700 wasn't to bad for the chap to be playing with what could end up being 16,000 volts in his hand, just because the customer thinks the meter looks a bit untidy where it is.

 

[plugwash]

sounds to me like someone had volts and amps confused, the voltage is not going to go above the normal operating voltage, the short circuit currents on the other hand can be massive.