Exterior electric meter box - mandatory?

[oranjeboom]

Hi,

I'm having some work done to the house which means that I may need the mains electric to be re-routed. I keep reading about having to have the meter on the outside of the house. Currently it's inside, in the hallway, which is where I want to keep it. I'm having the exterior rendered etc and don't want an ugly wall mounted meter box on the front (or side!) of the house.

I know having an external meter helps with readings, but I know that inevitably we will have the option of remote readings being taken in any case.

Is it mandatory that I have one of these boxed meters on the exterior?

 

[westie101]

On an existing house it isn't mandatory (well in this DNO) to have outdoor viewing installed.
If the meter is staying in the same location and just the supply to it being moved as long as the cable can be properly routed to that location there should be no problem

 

[oranjeboom]

Thanks Westie.

It's not a new build (or a listed build for that matter), but the meter is currently located on the wrong side of the hallway and connecting to that current location would mean taking up the concrete floor. So I was hoping to have the meter moved closer to the front door in a hallway cupboard (would mean no digging up of floor as the cable would just go through exterior wall into adjacent cupboard).

 

[ban-all-sheds]

don't want an ugly wall mounted meter box on the front (or side!) of the house.

Not even a flush one?

I was hoping to have the meter moved closer to the front door in a hallway cupboard (would mean no digging up of floor as the cable would just go through exterior wall into adjacent cupboard).

So it's just the meter which you want moved, not the main fuse?

How far will it be from fuse to meter?

What route will the cables take?

Will they be buried in the wall?

 

[JohnW2]

I was hoping to have the meter moved closer to the front door in a hallway cupboard (would mean no digging up of floor as the cable would just go through exterior wall into adjacent cupboard).

So it's just the meter which you want moved, not the main fuse?

I'm not so sure about that. Since the OP is talking about the cable 'just going through exterior wall' to the new desired location, I rather suspect that when he talks of 'meter', he's actually including the service head/cutout in that. One suspects that the reason for this required change is that the cutout and meter are currently in a place which will be needed/used for other purposes (or is going to be 'interfered with' by the work).

Clarification is clearly needed!

Kind Regards, John

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I rather suspect that when he talks of 'meter', he's actually including the service head/cutout in that.

Well that isn't going to be done with a JB.

Clarification is clearly needed!

And photos.

We like photos.

oranjeboom - if you want to use the site's own photo library provision you'll find the instructions here: //www.diynot.com/network/DIYnot/albums/67/180

To get photo(s) to appear in your post you need to do all 11 steps. Stopping when all you've done is put them in an album won't do.

Or in a fraction of the time it takes to go through that PITA convoluted process you could use an image hosting site such as http://www.postimage.org . Or one of many others (preferably not Photobucket) - I personally like Postimage because of it's screen-scrape tool, which means you don't actually have to go to the site to upload photos.

 

[oranjeboom]

don't want an ugly wall mounted meter box on the front (or side!) of the house.

Not even a flush one?

I was hoping to have the meter moved closer to the front door in a hallway cupboard (would mean no digging up of floor as the cable would just go through exterior wall into adjacent cupboard).

So it's just the meter which you want moved, not the main fuse?

How far will it be from fuse to meter?

What route will the cables take?

Will they be buried in the wall?

Hi, more clrification with this drawing

View media item 95264
Currently meter and fuse box is in hallway cupboard marked as 'x' in drawing with incoming mains within the slab. The fusebox can stay in that location but the servive head and meter can be located in the cloakroom, marked with an 'o'. Incoming mains to go through new timber porch and then through cavity wall into the cloakroom and routed (and sleeved?)alongside wall to its new location at 'o'. I guess it would make sense to have fusbox moved to that location also and won't add much to the cost. Current fusebox is circa 1953, so could do with an upgrade!

 

[oranjeboom]

Not even a flush one?

Not even a flush one!!!

Thanks for the photo instructions...I was faffing around whilst you were posting that! Seems to have worked. Hope it helps.

 

[JohnW2]

Currently meter and fuse box is in hallway cupboard marked as 'x' in drawing with incoming mains within the slab. The fusebox can stay in that location but the servive head and meter can be located in the cloakroom, marked with an 'o'. Incoming mains to go through new timber porch and then through cavity wall into the cloakroom and routed (and sleeved?)alongside wall to its new location at 'o'. I guess it would make sense to have fusbox moved to that location also and won't add much to the cost. Current fusebox is circa 1953, so could do with an upgrade!

I do not understand why this is necessary and/or what it would achieve. We need to hear from the experts (like westie), but I suspect that what you are proposing for the new routing of service cable might be a problem!

Kind Regards, John

 

[bernardgreen]

Putting a consumer unit in a cloak room is seldom a good idea, It seems a good idea to hide it out of sight, until you need to find it in the dark.

Also in the event of the CU overheating there is a lot of combustable material close if not pressed against it.

Very un-likely that the DNO would accept you proposed route. Do you really want a cable that is fused at several hundred amps at the electricity substation. Put a screw through that cable and you will have a real fire risk in the house.

 

[oranjeboom]

I do not understand why this is necessary and/or what it would achieve. We need to hear from the experts (like westie), but I suspect that what you are proposing for the new routing of service cable might be a problem!

Kind Regards, John

I'm having a side extension done to the house where the incoming mains is currently located (to the left of the bathroom). I will be a piled raft and cable is likely to be an issue. So having it re-routed via the front into cloakroom seems like an option.

@Bernard - thanks for those points.
I'm also fine to leave the CU in its current location if that would be a safety issue in the cloakroom. I could also have the incoming mains go into the concrete floor so less risk of screws causing issues.

 

[JohnW2]

I'm having a side extension done to the house where the incoming mains is currently located (to the left of the bathroom). I will be a piled raft and cable is likely to be an issue. So having it re-routed via the front into cloakroom seems like an option.

Fair enough. As has been suggested, I think you need to talk to your DNO as soon as possible about what is possible (and what it would cost!). As both bernard and I have said/implied, I very much doubt that they would accept the route you propose, and some of the options might be extremely expensive.

Kind Regards, John

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I'll be the first to say this (the only?? ).

I'm not clear where there is currently a building, and where there will be one, and what the current and proposed underground service cable routes are.

 

[JohnW2]

I'll be the first to say this (the only?? ). I'm not clear where there is currently a building, and where there will be one, and what the current and proposed underground service cable routes are.

I agree with you about the (current and proposed) building. As for the electricity supply, I presume the reddish line leading to an "X" at the top of the plan is the existing, and the reddish line (with a fairly tortuous proposed course!) leading to an "O" at the bottom of the plan is the OP's proposal for the new supply route (which I seriously doubt the DNO would accept).

Kind Regards, John

 

[westie101]

100% chances are you will be required to install a 32mm duct from outside to the new position, DNOs cannot joint cables in a property to extend them.