Moving a an electricity meter - BS7671 certification?

[nickpowell77]

All - later this month I have arranged for UK Power Networks, NPOWER & an Electrician (to be found) to move my electricity meter from my garage to outside the garage (3-4m distance).

I've asked the electrician to:

1. Install the external electricity meter cabinet and hockey stick (provided)
2. Install meter tails (25mm copper double-insulated + 16mm earth wire)
3. Fit isolator or sub main
4. Provide UK Power Networks with BS7671 internal wiring test certificate

My worry is what does the certificate need to cover, will this just be the isolator / sub main or for the whole house internal wiring?

Thanks, Nick

 

[JohnW2]

4. Provide UK Power Networks with BS7671 internal wiring test certificate
My worry is what does the certificate need to cover, will this just be the isolator / sub main or for the whole house internal wiring?

If UKPN have asked for that, I think you'll need to ask them what they want it to cover. I thought it was decades since DNOs last took any great interest in what was happening on the consumer's side the meter!

Kind Regards, John

 

[bernardgreen]

It may not be relevant to your situation but when my new supply was installed the consumer unit to which the supply was to be connected had no out going circuits, just the main switch for the incomers. The DNO looked at the CU, said it was OK and provided an isolator next to the meter so I could safely work to fit out the CU

At the time the house was running on a different CU fed from the meter in the adjacent shop as the cottage and shop were once one property.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

... 3-4m distance ... Fit isolator or sub main

Sure they don't want a switchfuse? How far will the new position be from the CU?

 

[JohnW2]

... 3-4m distance ... Fit isolator or sub main

Sure they don't want a switchfuse? How far will the new position be from the CU?

Does not "...or submain" probably refer to wiring protected by a switchfuse - with the "or" indicating that the electrician is to decide which is appropriate?

Kind Regards, John

 

[westie101]

The need for a test certificate is to comply with this part of ESQCR

Connections to installations or to other networks

25. (1) No person shall make or alter a connection from a distributor’s network to a consumer’s installation, a street electrical fixture or to another distributor’s network without that distributor’s consent, unless such consent has been unreasonably withheld.

(2) A distributor shall not give his consent to the making or altering of the connection referred to in paragraph (1), where he has reasonable grounds for believing that—

(a)the consumer’s installation, street electrical fixture or other distributor’s network fails to comply with British Standard Requirements or these Regulations; or

(b)the connection itself will not be so constructed, installed, protected and used or arranged for use, so as to prevent as far as is reasonably practicable, danger or interruption of supply.

In reality I would suggest it will be to cover the part of the installation that is new i.e. up to the CU

 

[JohnW2]

The need for a test certificate is to comply with this part of ESQCR

(2) A distributor shall not give his consent to the making or altering of the connection referred to in paragraph (1), where he has reasonable grounds for believing that—
(a)the consumer’s installation, street electrical fixture or other distributor’s network fails to comply with British Standard Requirements or these Regulations; or
(b)the connection itself will not be so constructed, installed, protected and used or arranged for use, so as to prevent as far as is reasonably practicable, danger or interruption of supply.

In reality I would suggest it will be to cover the part of the installation that is new i.e. up to the CU

Fair enough, but that regulation seems to only apply if the DNO has "reasonable grounds for believing" that the installation is not compliant with regs or otherwise 'unsafe' - which I would have thought would not usually be the case, would it? They surely can't say that they have "reasonable grounds for believing" that it is not regs-compliant just because there is no certificate saying that it is compliant, can they?

Kind Regards, John

 

[flameport]

In reality this is what has actually happened:

On several jobs where the meter was relocated to an outside cabinet, the DNO arrived, installed new cutout in the cabinet, put the old meter in there, and in most of them left a 2 pole isolator ready for tails to be connected.
In one case the meter was one of those with 2 covers and a built in isolator, so that was just left so that tails could be connected directly to the meter.
On another, they connected the tails to the meter and sealed it - tails already in place in the cabinet.

In all of those, the external cabinet, hole in the ground exposing the cable etc. had already been done before they arrived. No documents were requested by anyone at any time.

In a shop where the supply had been disconnected due to the wiring inside being totally unsafe:
Shop was completely rewired, all tested and certificates done.
Someone arrived, connected tails to both sides of the meter (one set already being connected to the new CU), put a fuse in the cutout, did a quick check at one socket outlet in the shop and left.
No documents were requested by anyone at any time - and this was effectively a new supply, as the shop had been empty with no electricity for months.

 

[JohnW2]

In reality this is what has actually happened: ....... No documents were requested by anyone at any time. .... No documents were requested by anyone at any time - and this was effectively a new supply, as the shop had been empty with no electricity for months.

Thanks for those insights. As I implied, that was my understanding of how things usually were these days - which is why I was a little surprised that the OP had apparently been asked by UKPN for a "BS7671 internal wiring certificate".

Kind Regards, John

 

[333rocky333]

1. Install the external electricity meter cabinet and hockey stick (provided)

Hockey stick

 

[RF Lighting]

It's the pipe that comes from underground into the meter cab with the supply cable in. It looks like a hockey stick (a bit)

 

[ban-all-sheds]

And this looks like an electrician.

A bit.

Or not...

 

[flameport]

Actual hockey stick, from surface fixed meter cabinet top right.

Hockey Stick

• flameport
• 5 Oct 2014
• 1

Meter cabinet top right, white hockey stick pipe from cabinet into hole.<br>Supply cable across...

 

[westie101]

and this was effectively a new supply, as the shop had been empty with no electricity for months.

Just a point on definitions (which even the ESI sometimes has problems with)

If a supply is disconnected the meter may be removed but the incoming supply to the DNO cut-out will remain. the MPAN number will also remain in place.
Any subsequent use of this supply after whatever period of time will be a continuation of the original supply.

If the DNO supply is made dead this is classed as a supply removal and the MPAN ceases to exist.
To reuse electricity would need a new supply

 

[nickpowell77]

Thanks all for the replies, I'm going to call UKPN today o get clarity. It make sense for the certificate to cover only items which are new but I will check.