I broke the main fuse seal

[akist]

I wanted to fit another electricity meter, just to check on the company's one,

The company's is a smart electricity meter with wifi and a SIM card cellular module, also used by the gas meter.

"I" pulled out the main fuse, did the work (20 minutes maybe), put it in again. The electricity smart meter got rebooted.

Should I tell the company or just forget about it? I am not sure when the company will ever come to do any work on the meter, if ever, but I do not want to leave it for years and then they may say "why did you not tell us way back when".

I am also happy to let sleeping dogs lie.

PS: clarification - I did not mess with the smart meter, or with its seals. The only thing I touched is the mains fuse (100A) which had to be removed to make work a bit safer.

 

[Echo the husky]

If you have a 'smart' meter it will have already reported the loss of power as a fault back to HQ. If they care they might send an engineer to check why the power went down to your house but none of your neighbours. Removing the main fuse isn't allowed by normies but it's worse if you have removed the seals from the meters terminal cover. (removing the terminal cover also reports back a remote alarm, and often places an alarm flag on the meters LCD). Many smart meters only have a short life compared to regular meters. I read the terms and conditions for smart meters provided by my electricity supplier and it suggested that the smart meter will need replacing every 5 years(!), so someone might be around then. My fathers for example had to be replaced after just 8 months...

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Should I tell the company or just forget about it? I am not sure when the company will ever come to do any work on the meter, if ever, but I do not want to leave it for years and then they may say "why did you not tell us way back when".

Absolutely no need, they will already know you have broken the seal, and pulled the fuse. Smart Meters instantly report back, any interference with them, or their supply. What a silly thing to do!

 

[Mottie]

What about when you have a new consumer unit fitted - does the main fuse have to be pulled?

 

[EFLImpudence]

What about when you have a new consumer unit fitted - does the main fuse have to be pulled?

Yes, but some people have permission.

 

[Old Salt]

Main fuse belongs to the DNO I believe. Smart meter will know its lost power and may have ratted on you but I doubt anyone will do anything. However if you do get a visit they will check for tampering and reseal. If your consumption should miraculously nose dive you may also get a visit.

 

[pete01]

I’ve heard that people pull the fuse and nothing happens to them? I wouldn't dare do such a thing myself....

 

[thomp1983]

I did it when we first moved in 5 years ago so I could fit an isolator not heard anything since

 

[akist]

Just to report back, after about 3 weeks of use, the supplier's electricity meter and the one I installed, match 100%...

 

[ericmark]

I fitted an isolator before the smart meter was fitted, but the fuse was not sealed anyway, so meter readers it seems did nothing, seal was fitted same time as smart meter fitted.

I have in essence three electric meters. 1) The Smart Meter, 2) The solar panels inverters CT coil, 3) A meter fitted at same time as solar panels which was to show export, but never used. It also shows import, but not sure what import it shows?

The smart meter and solar panel CT coil near enough the same, smart meter always seems to show a little less, to solar panels, but a minuscule amount. Not really looked at the solar export meter, not really needed as smart meter shows export, but only noted a couple of days ago that it shows an import.

Not sure what the import is? I will guess, power to charge batteries, and maybe the fridge/freezer and central heating? Can't see how it can measure anything supplied by the consumer unit. I had read meter without noting two readings import and export, so not sure what the readings are as now have no base reading to compare it with, as don't know which I read in first place.

The bit which mainly interests me, is do they know when I have had a power failure? There is talk about removing copper telephone lines, so with a power failure my phone may fail to work, I have already been caught out going to the public telephone box, only to find it only has a defibrillator in the box, and no telephone, and other one in the town, it seems is a book exchange.

So if the smart meter tells the supplier my supply has failed, I don't need to phone them. I would today if I get a power cut, go outside and see if others seem to be affected, and if I can't see any sign, put my clamp-on near the fuse, and see if it shows any non-contact voltage. If it does, then likely my fuse blown. So if not showing any voltage then likely area power cut, but if it is, do I need to phone supplier? Or will they already know?

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I fitted an isolator before the smart meter was fitted, but the fuse was not sealed anyway, so meter readers it seems did nothing, seal was fitted same time as smart meter fitted.

I fitted an isolator, at the same time as I had the Smart Meters put in. I fixed the isolator in place, prior to the installer's arrival, then just a matter of diverting the tails, through the isolator. In came in latter, when I swapped out the consumer unit, for a new, much larger one, with new tails from isolator, to CU.

 

[ericmark]

I found the CU only supplied the flat under the main house, in the ceiling space was a fuse box, which supplied the main house, which was rather inaccessible, not really an option, had to fit a new CU. Got conned however, the RCBO boxes said in bold letters type B, they were not, they were curve B type AC.

 

[mattylad]

Oh no, not another "pull the main fuse" discussion, I can see this going on and on and on an on...

Personally I would not worry about it.
After all, can anyone quote the stats on how many people have been prosecuted etc. because the main fuse was pulled?

 

[crystal ball]

When I worked for NORWEB cut out fuses were pulled daily, no PPE apart from jeans and Tee shirt, a few years ago a factory I looked after had a new substation , the DNO guy turned up to fit the new fuses, huge gauntlets, full face guard, fire resistant boiler suit

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

After all, can anyone quote the stats on how many people have been prosecuted etc. because the main fuse was pulled?

No, they all got locked up!