Electrical Supply to 7 Flats & Common Parts

[Richard Faulkner]

I probably dont want to know the answer to this but, having only just discovered it, I guess I need to know:

Big Victorian House converted many years ago into 7 flats. 7 electric meters, common parts supplied from landlords meter.

I bought this in 2000, and managed to get rid of the final dregs of humanity in April. 6 of the flats have now been refurbished, I live in one of the flats, and have continued the tradition of having the common parts fed from my meter.

However, on the basis that I wont live here forever, I want to get an extra meter/supply for the common parts.

Anyway - in the meter cupboard, there is a very thick cable, from outside, which feeds a panel with 3 of the big black electricity board fuses. Tails from these 3 fuses then lead to some splitters, (???), and tails from these splitters lead to a further 7 big black electricity board fuses - these then feed the meters of the 7 flats.

Each flat now has Gas C/H for heating and hot water, electric oven, and the usual lights and sockets. 5 x 1 bed flats, 1 x 2 bed flat, 1 x studio flat.

Whilst the electricity board have always been aware that there are 7 flats, and they presumably created the layout initially, I am a bit concerned that there should not be 7 flats fed from the 3 big fuses, and that asking for another meter/supply may be opening a can of worms.

Any thoughts before I open the can

Many Thanks

[BigWallop]

The layout sounds like it has a simple three phase supply, and that the three phases have been distributed sort of evenly throughout the whole of the flats.

If you wish to rent the flat that you currently occupy, then you could have the landlord supply separated to a meter in the common hallway that supplies only the stair lighting and other common parts of the building. This is a very common layout for this type of property.

It does mean that the current supply to your flat will need to have the common areas removed and transferred to the new meter in the hallway of course.

[Owain]

There's considerable diversity applied across multiple dwellings, and it's surprising what can be got away with. I think there are probably closes in Scotland with a main supply of about 10A per flat :-)

I presume the landlord's supply is only for a few lights, entry system, tv distribution, zoned fire alarm system (?) and the like. If this is explained to the electricity co then there should be no question of needing to upgrade the main feeder.

ScottishPower have a facility whereby landlord's meters of this type are automatically divided and charged across tenant's electricity bills, so you wouldn't need to read the meter and bill the tenants or absorb the cost yourself. I don't know if other providers have the same facility or what happens if different tenants have different leccy providers.

Owain

[Hugh]

I'm sure you are aware, being a landlord, that you require each of the dwellings to be inspected by a suitably qualified electrician and the appropriate certificate issued. At this same time you could enquire of the electrician whether the current (excuse pun!) layout is satisfactory - he should be able to advise. You can't skimp on these things tho' - you have a duty of care to your tenants - their lives are in your hands to a certain extent - if the wiring is unsafe it has to be updated. Got your annual Landlord's Charter gas certs.for each flat yet. Illegal not to when rented out.

I would be equally concerned about the imminent Housing Act 2004 regulations coming in this autumn - this is going to affect many landlords and tenants especially in converted flats, and properties of 3 floors or more. The cost of works ordered by local councils will be staggering, the penalties for not complying equally costly.

BTW, 'final dregs of humanity' ? - a lot of landlords fit that description - and presumably you've enriched yourself by their presence in one way or another.

Hugh

[Lobster]

No you don't.

Agree absolutely.

David

[Hugh]

David, Thanks for pointing that out - it's true that it isn't part of existing legislation other than it must be safe. I have all my installations so certificated, the consequences of not doing so, could be costly, to say the least, and result in a prison sentence. With hindsight I should have said 'should require'. I bashed-off my little piece before dashing off to load up the car for a trip to the tip - but I stand by the general jist of what I said. cheers, Hugh

[Christian McArdle]

It doesn't sound too bad if the big (i.e. 3) fuses are at least 100A.

If there's no electric heating, then in the worst case, you have 100A shared between 3 flats. That's not the same as 33A per flat, as it is extremely unlikely that all flats will draw maximum at all times. Also, short term overloads are a non-issue.

In Europe, it is common for flat supplies to be limited to a low value, like

25A. I don't know the diversity calculations applicable here, but you could use a lot more than that per flat with impunity.

Christian.

[Chip]

On Mon, 11 Jul 2005 02:11:00 +0100,it is alleged that Richard Faulkner spake thusly in uk.d-i-y:

[snip]

As others have mentioned, this is quite normal in multi-occupancy dwellings. As for 'can of worms', as others have mentioned, diversity calculations allow this with no problems, there's also the possibility the 3ph mainfuses might be 200A (it may be labelled on the carriers).

Also by simple mathematics, currently at least *one* of the phases has

3 flats on it, while the other phases have 2, and can thus handle an extra each.

There should be no problem going up to 9 (with 3 on each phase) before they start having to rethink things. And this will all be done by the electricity supplier (being before/including the meters) so I don't suspect the can will contain worms.

I could be wrong, but that's how it appears to me.

[Ed Sirett]

This does not sound to bad to me. I guess you will be in for the 'standard' new installation charge. The common parts need to be fed from a new meter off one of the 'splitters' (probably a henley block) which is currently only doing two meters. Since the original installation was sized for electric heating albeit a while back there should be no problem like needing to upgrade all the supply.

My guess is that 60A per flat from 100A on 3 should be adequate for a small block of smallish flats with GCH.

[Richard Faulkner]

In message , Christian McArdle writes

They say 100A on them, as do the other 7 which they feed. And all are Gas central heating and electric ovens - they have washer/dryers and dishwashers aswell.

Are there any regulations which say that this is OK, or are you just saying it's OK because it is