MOVING CONSUMER UNIT

[nomisg]

I have been quoted such a large sum by the power company to move the meter by bringing a new cable in 10 meters down the street (3k+) that I have decided to try another route. Before wasting any more of their or my time, I would be grateful for some advice. I will use their services as required, and a qualified electrician for the rest.

Currently the supply, which is in lead (?) comes in under the wall and the master fuse and meter are fixed to a crumbling wooden board with the consumer unit connected by short tails. I want to move the board about 6 feet which will require the cable to be lengthened. Then I want to position the consumer unit about 20 feet away from the meter. My questions are the following:

Will they touch the old lead supply?

Is there a maximum distance between the meter and the consumer board and what will be required to do it, if indeed it is possible.

 

[RF Lighting]

Will they touch the old lead supply?

Will who touch it?

You electrician is not allowed to, and no one in teir right mind would try to.
Moving a PILC supply cable will most likely cause the paper insulation to fail rather spectacularly.

The DNO would cut this cable off underground in the street, and joint a new piece of cable onto it to your new supply position.

Is there a maximum distance between the meter and the consumer board and what will be required to do it, if indeed it is possible.

You are allowed a maximum of 3 meters of tails from the meter without additional protection.

If you want the CU further than 3 meters from the meter, you need to supply a switch fuse from the meter within 3 meters, and use this to supply a submains to your CU.

There is no limit on the length of this cable, but the length of the run will influence the required cable size.

 

[nomisg]

Thank you for the rapid and very useful reply. I was hoping the power company would move it for a modest sum! Looks like I may yet have to pay a fortune for a hole in the road, and an excavation through the 2 foot thick house wall. Regards

 

[RF Lighting]

You can usually do the digging and laying of the duct etc yourself, which will save you some £££s

 

[AndyPRK]

Can you ? Even the power companies won't dig with live cables about

 

[RF Lighting]

My local DNO certainly allows it.

 

[hairyben]

EDF actually require the client to run a duct from the street (boundary) to the meter position, and charge a couple of grand to push the cable in.

The duct required for a domestic house can be anything from 32mm poly to 4" cast iron, seems to depend on how the engineer feels on the day he surveys it.