Key meter

[Yarn]

The house I am buying has a key meter. I want it removed, do I need to get the electricity board to do this, or can I get an electrician to do it?

I will need to replace the fuse box at the same time as it is 'well oldskool'.

Probably best to get them both done together?

 

[Steve]

Contact the company that currently sends bills to the premises, they will change the meter FOC. It is their equipment, only they can work on it.

However your fusebox is YOUR equipment and an electrician must change it.

You can have them changed together (if you are good at arranging things), but I'd get the meter done first as I've heard the tarrifs on the key meters are more expensive

However contact a spark and ask him to fit you an isolator switch (if there isnt one) between the meter and the fusebox. This will make it easier to change the components seperately.

 

[MarkBarl]

The meter is the responsibility of the DNO, though be prepared to wait a few weeks for them to turn up to change it, they should be able to give a date. If you are changing your CU as well, you would be advised to try to arrange it to be done at the same time and have your sparky present the tails ready for the DNO to connect into the new meter.

Probably worth talking to your sparky before calling the DNO in case you need to ask for them to upgrade your earthing as well depending on your current installation.

 

[Roo]

However contact a spark and ask him to fit you an isolator switch (if there isnt one) between the meter and the fusebox. This will make it easier to change the components seperately.

How will the spark isolate the supply to fit the isolator?

Contact your supplier and ask IF they will change the meter (have heard customers tell me that some suppliers make you keep the prepayment meter for a year if your not already a customer)

While on the phone to the supplier about the meter change ask them to RAISE A JOB for an isolator as well (if 2 jobs aren't raised 1 for meter and 1 for isolator the meter man will only fit you a new meter regardless of notes on his box of tricks).

This way the cutout and meter stay sealed and your spark can isolate the supply to change the CU at anytime after the meter man's been.

Regarding Prepayment being more expensive AFAIK there's only a couple of pence difference.

 

[Steve]

However contact a spark and ask him to fit you an isolator switch (if there isnt one) between the meter and the fusebox. This will make it easier to change the components seperately.

How will the spark isolate the supply to fit the isolator?

He wont. He'll fix it to the wall unwired and leave the supply side open for DNO tails. When the DNO's been the spark will get a phone call from the customer asking why they've got no 'lectric, and come to reconnect the tails to the load side!

Perhaps your way is better.

 

[Yarn]

Thanks, thats useful info.

Would they replace the meter even with the old fuse box still present?

I know that if I had any private electrical work carried out, it would not be legal to connect to the CU, so is it legal to replace the meter still with the old fuse board pressent.

(I do want them both changed, just think it is unlilley that they will get done on same day).

 

[comms]

I did a cu swap on Saturday for a couple who had just purchased a property & the meter was the key type, the supplier is refusing to change the keymeter untill the debt that currently stands for the electric used at the property is paid, even though it isnt the new occupiers debt.

 

[Roo]

Thanks, thats useful info.

Would they replace the meter even with the old fuse box still present?

Yes.
We are responsible for the meter, the cutout and isolator if one of ours.
You could have a Frilly pink CU and as long as it's not dangerous it's nothing to do with us.
If it were dangerous we'd probably fit you an isolator and leave you off supply until a spark had rectified the problem.

I did a cu swap on Saturday for a couple who had just purchased a property & the meter was the key type, the supplier is refusing to change the keymeter untill the debt that currently stands for the electric used at the property is paid, even though it isnt the new occupiers debt.

I hear it a lot and in my opinion it's wrong.

I would suspect that if the customer phoned up and had a good kick off at the supplier they would remove the debt.

AFAIK The debt belongs to the customer not the property, so if a new customer obtains the property it's not their problem.

I have heard that some suppliers make new customers keep a prepay meter for a year if they move into a property that has one.
This I suspect is because the have no credit details of the new customer and want to make sure they keep paying.

Just for the record I also think thats wrong.

 

[Steve]

I have heard that some suppliers make new customers keep a prepay meter for a year if they move into a property that has one.
This I suspect is because the have no credit details of the new customer and want to make sure they keep paying.

Just for the record I also think thats wrong.

But after a year on the key meter, they still wont have any credit details A simple credit check would get them the info they need.

 

[Roo]

True.

In that case I've no idea why they do it