is putting in a temporary consumer unit fraud?

[JohnW2]

This thread is useless without pichers

Whilst piccies would certainly be nice, even without them I think we can understand a meter fitter having a problem with a meter with broken seals with just a ""consumer unit thing, like a 6 plug adaptor with a fuse on it." (whatever that may be - maybe just a fused extension lead?) hanging off it - so I'm not sure 'useless' is quite the right word. .. as I said, not in relation to fraud, but rather to safety/acceptability.

Kind Regards, John.

 

[SimonH2]

The supply industry really wants to sort itself out and ensure that all these new smart meters on the way have integral isolators and contrator assessible terminals, or

...

(although with the meter reader not popping round due to a smart meter ...

Went to a talk on Wednesday evening about smart meters. The speaker has been involved for some years and the information was quite illuminating.

Yes, the law is being changed so that the supplier (or an agent/subcontractor) no longer needs to see the meter every two years. Some methods of bypassing the meter would not be detectable by the meter itself and could go on for years without being spotted.

Some of the other stuff he told us was quite frankly mind boggling. The standard requires support for 48 time based charging rates (so it could be a different rate from 12:03 to 12:07 and so on). IIRC 8 block based rates (that's first x units cost y p/unit, next cost so much, and so on), plus some combinations of block and time based. And of course, the remote disconnect facility which is cause for some concern given how accurate we know all utility billing processes to be And all at our expense (BG are reckoning on getting on for £12 billion quid by 2020 ), to allow for load management to deal with the intermittency of windmills (but that's a different rant). The chap next to me was muttering about installing a diesel genny with heat recovery ...

As an aside, he said he's been the only british representative on many of the european bodies dealing with this - and until he raised it they had no idea a pre-pay facility was required

 

[EFLImpudence]

Some of the other stuff he told us was quite frankly mind boggling.

It always makes me wonder why people in such jobs do this sort of thing -

Constantly monitor and record email, phone calls, GPS position of cars etc.

The answer is just because they can and by doing so their jobs seem justified and so will be preserved and multiplied - no matter how pointless.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Bit of a leap from someone talking from a position of knowledge about smart metering to saying that he also constantly monitors and records email, phone calls, GPS position of cars etc, isn't it?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

And of course, the remote disconnect facility which is cause for some concern given how accurate we know all utility billing processes to be

Yes, but that's a side concern, just as remote disconnection for non-payment is a side benefit for the suppliers.

The real reason for remote disconnection is to make it easy to implement phased power cuts.

Rationing is on the way.

That's why that guy was muttering about getting a genny.

 

[westie101]

The real reason for remote disconnection is to make it easy to implement phased power cuts.

With the amount of remote control on the HV system that use is the least required (especially as it is so easy to bypass a meter particularly one that is an open invite with the seals broken after electrical work )

 

[JohnW2]

The real reason for remote disconnection is to make it easy to implement phased power cuts. Rationing is on the way.

If anyone were contemplating that, it would surely be best achieved at the level of sub-stations (or further upstream), not at the level of consumers' meters?

Kind Regards, John.

 

[JohnD]

If somebody turned off my smartmeter remotely, I'd have to go and buy a screwdriver.

No, wait - I've already got one.

 

[ABCwarrior]

I reckon I'm a better sparky than the one the OP uses... Why F with the meter at all- I wanna see the pics too.
It makes you wonder though why every new build/new meter installation doesn't have an isolator switch between it and the CU. Then nobody would need to tamper with main fuse/meter seals to do any work, and if they have been messed with then surely the supplier can justify any action they deem necessary, as it would be well suspicious??

 

[EFLImpudence]

why every new build/new meter installation doesn't have an isolator switch between it and the CU. Then nobody would need to tamper with main fuse/meter seals to do any work,

Far too logical and evident of one of today's rarest attributes - common sense.

 

[JohnD]

Mine does. I provided it myself last time the meter was changed.

MEM one with the handy hatch.

 

[SimonH2]

The real reason for remote disconnection is to make it easy to implement phased power cuts.

Rationing is on the way.

Well when they reach the target of 20% renewable (mostly windmills), they'll need some means of dealing with all that disappearing. With current plans, we won't have any spare capacity to cover it

That's why that guy was muttering about getting a genny.

Yup

 

[ABCwarrior]

Do the DNO's usually charge to snip the wire, pull the fuse then come back and put it back in again? Fine if you're in a city/urban environment and they've a lot on in the local area, but in the sticks like us they'd probably not come back until a week later....Looks like it maybe a cash cow for them?
When this remote system moves to domestic maybe a sparky can just phone in a call centre and ask for a remote disconnection, call back when the job is done like with alarm testing etc...how many of you pros would trust that, when some half trained call centre chimp restarts the supply at the click of a mouse without the call??!!!

(0h yeah, I spoke to a very decent bloke who was fitting the new remote meters to our "commercial" properties, he says when the roll out starts next year up here to domestic properties they've been instructed to not tell the householders about this nice remote disconnection facility...)

 

[Adam_151]

When this remote system moves to domestic maybe a sparky can just phone in a call centre and ask for a remote disconnection, call back when the job is done like with alarm testing etc...how many of you pros would trust that, when some half trained call centre chimp restarts the supply at the click of a mouse without the call??!!!

It clearly does not meet the requirements of safe isolation, to work like that, you'd be

i) very daft
ii) in breach of the electricity at work regs

I can see if they start to chase after the electrical trade if they get a fuse removed alert, what'll start to happen is it'll be the meter seal thats cut instead and the outgoing tails dropped out live... unless there is a micro-switch to detect that!

 

[ban-all-sheds]

If anyone were contemplating that, it would surely be best achieved at the level of sub-stations (or further upstream), not at the level of consumers' meters?

No - it gives then much better granularity.

They can share the discomfort better - i.e. it was your side of the street yesterday it's theirs today, and they can have priority users (e.g. medical equipment needed, elderly/sick/disabled etc) who don't get cut off.

If there are policies in force, e.g. a cap on usage per household between certain peak hours they can enforce that by cutting off miscreants, and so on.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_in_the_United_Kingdom#The_UK_.27energy_gap.27