Over a grand to move the electric meter!

[clangers_snout]

Was talking to a mate of mine who is having his electric meter moved from one room to the next and they've quoted over a grand for the job

- this is British Gas apparently who also do electrics.

So what is involved in extending the incoming main by about three metres? Three metres of tails and some sort of Henley block I'm guessing. No complications with the routing, just drill through the wall.

I'd do this sort of job myself, legal or not, when they monopolise the work to the extent that a job that involves about forty quid in parts, if that, becomes a one-grand plus quote.

Made my blood boil and it isn't even my money!

What is the accepted way to extend the incoming main? Henley blocks or something more substantial?

[Nightjar]

Not all jobs are as simple as they appear at the outset. I recall, when I worked for an electricity board, what should have been a simple job of fitting an extra socket outlet turned into a major job involving the replacement of an entire incoming sub-main up three floors because it was in such poor condition.

Colin Bignell

[ARWadsworth]

Your guess would be wrong. The LEC will not do joints inside the house (nor normally underground in a garden if they can help it) and they do not use Henley blocks.

Best guess is that they are taking the new supply back to the street ring main.

[jgharston]

It must be a single continuous cable, no Henley blocks or similar as they are points where unmetered electricity can be taken from. To comply with your electricity supply contract who-ever moves your meter must:

- cut the sealed links and remove the incoming supply head fuse

• NOTE - THIS MUST NEVER BE DONE IF THE INCOMING SUPPLY

• HEAD IS A CERAMIC FUSE HOLDER AS IT WILL FALL TO PIECES.

• STOP AT THIS POINT AND BOOK A SUPPLY HEAD REPLACEMENT.

- disconnect supply tails from the supply head

- cut the sealed links from the meter

- disconnect the supply tails from the meter

- move the meter to its required new position

- connect the supply head to the meter with continuous, unbroken lengths of supply tails of required CSA for the installation (usually 25mm^2, though some are 16mm^2)

- replace the incoming supply head fuse

- replace the sealed links

JGH

[Scott M]

I had it done a few years ago in a house I was renovating. Moved from inside to out for about £140. I think they were prepared to extend/replace the cable from the pole but there was enough slack that they didn't need to bother.

That was Western Power Distribution (was SWEB.)

[A.Lee]

Where do you get that idea from? I did a rewire last week with the oldest Incomer I have ever seen, big cast iron case, all ceramic inside. The meter had been replaced less than a year ago. Inside, the cut out was in perfect condition, complete with fuseholders for 3 fuses, with the neutral bypassed, only the Line being fused now. The house was built in 1931, so it may have been from then.

Alan.

[ARWadsworth]

"Should" may be a better word.

[Owain]

The meter-changer might not have pulled the main fuse. Mine didn't.

It's probably different for the period meter-swap done by someone with NVQ Level 1 in Meter Swapping, and relocating the meter done by someone with NVQ Level 2 in Meter Relocating and Advanced Tightening- Up.

Owain

[Nightjar]

Although a couple of nails driven into the cable is probably a more common way of doing it.

Colin Bignell

[Bill]

I came across a pirate radio transmitter a few years ago where they had screwed self tapping screws into the meter tails and then used croc' clips to attach to them. This was in an external meter box at a radio site on top of a hill and was left open to the weather.

Why does Darwin's law always fail to provide at these moments?

[ARWadsworth]

Line taps.

[Nightjar]

Only if the people who steal electricity have become a lot more sophisticated since I was in the industry.

Colin Bignell

[Dave Plowman (News)]

My meter was moved at some time from the cellar to the top of the cellar stairs. They used SWA cable from the riser to the meter.

[jgharston]

Big yellow warning text at:

Electrical Installation lectures 20-ish years ago, plus confirmatory advice from a former YEB supply installer, plus confirmatory advice from a current NELD supply installer when he was installing a supplu next door.

JGH

[tony sayer]

In article , Bill scribeth thus

Thats sort of operation is about par for the course these days they are in it for the money and it can be rather sizeable. Nicking someone's rooftop and electricity are the norm sadly...

Ofcom seem to have lost control of them..

[Bill]

In message , tony sayer writes

This particular one had his TX taken 3 times and on the last raid his studio too. Strange thing is that I recently helped some one who seemed very familiar to set up a legal community station :-)

[Lieutenant Scott]

Indeed. Without red tape, everything is 10 times easier and 10 times cheaper. It's why the UK is so far behind.

[David WE Roberts]

One question nobody seems to have asked. Do you have to use your current retail supplier of electricity to do this, or can a qualified 3rd party (or other electricity supplier) do the work?

[Brian Gaff]

This business of no places where unmetered current can be taken from is a bit of a joke, after all, anyone mad enough to try this will not be swayed by insulation in any case. Its almost like presuming guilt though, don't you think?

Brian

[The Other Mike]

It's the 'local' distribution network operator who does the work, who will almost certainly not be your supplier the way the industry has fragmented. I can't recall OFGEM opening up this area of work to anyone else.