Moving meter and LABC

[snipa]

Hi all and a Merry Christmas to all of those reading,

I'm planning to get my electric meter moved in the New Year.
I only want to move it less than a metre, closer to the CU in fact, so the tails should be long enough.
I just want to move it off the chipboard cupboard it's currently mounted onto, and put it next to the CU on a wall meaning I can knock down the cupboard.

As I live in Norfolk, I assume EDF are my DNO http://www.nationalgrid.com/uk/Electricity/AboutElectricity/DistributionCompanies/
or is it worth consulting my electric provider, British Gas about this?

In addition, we have an older Wylex board that I've recently consulted our Sparky over. He provided us with some MCBs for it and said that despite being old, the board still has RCD so not to let the meter movers bully us into replacing it.
Obviously I don't want to have to replace the CU if I don't have to, but if we get the meter moved, will we need to inform LABC and require testing for certification afterwards or is this only necessary if we *do* replace the CU?

At the same time, we want to get our redundant secondary CU taken out (probably from old storage heaters) so if we proceed with the meter moving, what order should we get things done?

BTW, anyone have a rough guess for a meter move of less than 1m by EDF?

Thanks for any advice.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Obviously I don't want to have to replace the CU if I don't have to, but if we get the meter moved, will we need to inform LABC and require testing for certification afterwards or is this only necessary if we *do* replace the CU?

Just moving the meter doesn't create any new circuits, so no notification is necessary.

At the same time, we want to get our redundant secondary CU taken out (probably from old storage heaters) so if we proceed with the meter moving, what order should we get things done?

Have you got a 2-tariff meter, i.e. with separate outgoing tails for that CU, or is it just supplied via tails split in a Henley block?

If the latter, then take advantage of the supply interruption to remove the secondary CU tails from the Henley. The CU itself can be removed at any time - again not notifiable. If not then talk to your supplier about a new meter...

BTW, anyone have a rough guess for a meter move of less than 1m by EDF?

Far more than you would ever dream they could justify.

What about the service head? Is that staying put? If so the tails from that to the meter won't be long enough. If not then there'll be digging, and a new service cable to be jointed in - £several hundred.

 

[Steve]

Cant keep away ban?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Well I came here to ask a few questions myself, so I thought if I was going to do that I ought to answer a few.

Once I'm done with my own current queries I'll not be getting involved in any new ones of others... (a quick trawl through General Discussion has shown that nothing has changed).

 

[Steve]

i think you're right ban, but we have a laugh anyway.

 

[snipa]

Thanks for the response. I'll check the feed to the 2nd CU and see if we can disconnect it.
Service head to meter length -> didn't think of that! As I'm just moving it round the corner so to speak, I'm hoping it might be long enough as is!

I'll get EDF to look at the meter and get my Sparky to double check on what they say - he'll be able to do everything but move the service head and meter, right?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Yep.

Well - he could move the meter too, but he's not supposed to.

 

[DJM]

I hope your experience with EDF is better than mine. It took almost 6 months to get them to move my meter a whole 30cm. They quoted between £800 and £1000 to do it, and were extremely unhelpful. I ended up writing directly to EDF head office before any real progress was made. Even then 3 things listed on the job card (one of which was move meter), guys that come out refuse to do all three. Eventually after considerable discussion they move the meter, but that was all. Strangely I wasn't prepared to pay for that sort of service and head office agreed so finally got meter moved for free.

If it weren't a monopoly, I would move to another DNO out of principle.

 

[djrichie_t]

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Moderator's note:

This is a DIY site

Unsafe advice removed

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[MonkeyHunter]

It cost me £350 for EDF to move my meter and service head from inside my property to a flush mount box outside (approx 7 meters), and that involved them cutting the feed and jointing the cable. Mind you I had to dig the access trench for them, and install the meter box. Thought it a bit steep at the time, but considering other peoples experiences I think i was lucky!

 

[dannyboi2003]

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Moderator's note:

This is a DIY site

Unsafe advice removed

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What a totally stupid and dangerous bit of advice this is

Please do not attempt to move the meter yourself, yes others may have done it but its dangerous and you could kill yourself if your not careful! Please allow EDF to move it as their staff are fully trained and will carry out the move with the correct safety measures in place and will have the correct tools for the job. Yes the cost will be silly but please just don't attempt it yourself.

With regards to not "getting seriously done", have a look at the warning notice attached to the incoming mains below the meter in this pic...

It says... "WARNING! Interference with this installation is illegal and could cause death or injury"

Electricity is dangerous and it will kill ANYONE!

 

[qwilpen]

Hi

just a bit of heads up on moving meters yourself

1, it is illegal to interfere with a supply companies equiptment
2, if you are interfering with the cable head and manage to short circuit it the prospective short circuit current as approx 25000 amps, admitidly it will only flow for a very short time but almost certainly enough time to give you a permenant reminder of your encounter
3, if you connect the cable back the wrong way you could
a) be faced with a charge of illegal abstraction
b) connect the property up with reverse polarity which may result in something a minor as your gas boiler not working , or you could kill somebody.

your choice.

 

[djrichie_t]

You could always ask the electricity company (DNO) that you require a double pole isolator to be fitted before the meter. Not commonly known one but they will do it for free as they have to provide you with this if requested. Then when the person arrives to do it, slip him an extra tenner for him to move the meter for you

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Well, without wishing to invoke the wrath of the moderators, and whilst stressing that this is not a suggestion that people should move their meters themselves, I think we should try to remain grounded in reality here.

1, it is illegal to interfere with a supply companies equiptment

Please tell us which law says that, i.e. if somebody did move the meter themselves, and didn't ****-up, what offence would they be charged with?

2, if you are interfering with the cable head and manage to short circuit it the prospective short circuit current as approx 25000 amps, admitidly it will only flow for a very short time but almost certainly enough time to give you a permenant reminder of your encounter

I did say that his electrician could move the meter. Electricians cut the fuse seals and remove the service fuses all the time.

3, if you connect the cable back the wrong way you could
a) be faced with a charge of illegal abstraction
b) connect the property up with reverse polarity which may result in something a minor as your gas boiler not working , or you could kill somebody.

C'mon - it's not exactly rocket science to keep track of live and neutral and in and out. The problem with raising objections like that is that it risks devaluing all of your advice, as people look at it and think that all you're doing is engaging in ridiculous scaremongering.

 

[djrichie_t]

I was just going to say something very similar