Nope, Manweb, who were taken over by/merged with Scottish Power.
Who said anything about being on the Scottish border?
Blimey, what is with everyone today telling me I don't know installed my own lecky supply?!! :-)
David
Manweb as it is now is simply a name bandied about by the "supplier" side. The metering dept. is now known as Dataserve, and the cable side is called Power Systems. Whoops, Energy Networks...
That would have been in breach of the Data Protection Act.
I suspect its a liability if its likely to kill her.
I think you`ll find the company (BG?) who argued abuse of the DPA in the case of the pensioners who were cut off for non-payment of gas about 2 years ago (who incidentally had more than enough to cover the cost in cash in the house) was strongly admonished in court.
Why should I know? :-)
Dave
(This was in the old ManWeb area, ie south of the border, which maybe is the reason it's not as you'd expect? Dunno.)
That was what you wrote on 15/10/2005 at 12.15
Sorry, I didn't think that you were referring to recent years. When you mentioned ManWeb. I thought that you were referring to the good old days.
On another track.
When was the last time you ever heard of, let alone used the term 'Gas Board'?
I ask, as I have just reviewed a text, mentioning the 'local gas board.
Dave
Ohhh, sometime in the last 5 days i`d say...
For those who don`t know, MANWEB stood for
*M*erseyside *A*nd *N*orth *W*ales *E*lectricity *B*oardIf you aren`t in one of those areas, it wasn`t Manweb who connected you :-p
You mean saving all her money for her kids and grandkids only to end up giving a significant proportion to the government via Inhertance Tax? With a reasonable sized house in London she'll almost certainly be over the IHT tax threashold by that single asset alone...
Anyone coming towards the twilight of the life and with any sense starts disposing of their assets *before* they shuffle of this mortal coil. Even with the new law on Tax Treatment of Pre-Owend Assets there are still plenty of ways to avoid or reduce your tax liabilty.
### My orginal response didn't get posted for some reason:
Eek, and where does that leave you? With H&S being what it is these days you have a duty to take some action. OK you are not an expert but you can hardly deny that you are thought the installion "unsafe".
I think I'd talk to little old lady and daughter expressing your concerns and write to both as well afterwards, keeping a copy. Bear in mind that in it's present state the value of the house is some what deminished, daughter might be interested in that. Though depending on the state of the rest of the property that reduction might not be much...
So I would say that unless you have disconnected all the old stuff you are now liable should the worst happen. Replacing the socket isn't under Part P but messing about with the fixed wiring putting in a CU etc is (isn't it?). I don't remember you saying you would be recognised as a "competent person" to do this sort of work(*). How about the testing and issuance of certificates afterwards?
(*) Yes, I'm sure you are perfectly capable of doing it and getting it right but in the eyes of the law or insurance companies?
Didn't say 'on' the border, though did I?! Nor did I say 'just' south of the border. I was merely pointing out that I wasn't in Scotland, which is where many people still assume Scottish Power only operates...
Nope, last year (see earlier in the thread!)
David
Having looked at a bit more I'm reasonably certain the one ring main could be made safe. The couple of runs of rubber 7.029 I've found - one to upstairs - are easily replaced as they're either surface or in the cellar. It's the lighting wiring that worries me - all rubber and several of those old domed brass switches you can easily feel 'leaking'
No - both the daughters have financial problems of their own.
On Sat, 15 Oct 2005 23:32:48 +0100, "Dave Plowman (News)" scrawled:
Yes. If the place is full of knackered wiring mixed in with rubber etc... I wouldn't touch the place except to rip it out and rewire it. Since the advent of part P I've dropped a lot of electrical work, any that I have done that is on the scope of part P has been done to the required standards so there is real problem with being able to get someone in to put a certificate on it if needs be.
In the case of the job you mention I would walk away, there is no way I could change the board and leave it at that.
Many people don't, I'll pass on your details. ;)
In message , "Dave Plowman (News)" writes
Problem is once you start this sort of thing it rapidly escalates - you try to fit a CU, but hen you find some other cables dodgy (as with the lighting circuits), so then they need replacing.
I just think that in this situation, you need to leave well alone, unless you are willing to do the whole lot properly.
This is where there really IS a problem with modern bureaucracy (and blame culture) that we now live in, I don't know if Dave could live with himself if something did happen to the said house and the lady died, I know I couldn't - there would be always be that question of what if I had done something would she still be alive - but then what if I had done something that made at least some of the electrical installation safe(r) but had been drawn over the coals for being that last to work on the installation.
I sometimes wonder how many deaths have been caused by the bureaucracy that was meant to have made them safer...
But what she probably has got is a fully paid-off mortgage and a large wedge of capital tied up in her bricks and mortar. If she's living in a death trap then the obvious solution (failing any other) would be to go for some sort of equity release scheme to procure enough cash to pay for a rewire. But that also probably requires trusted offspring to advise, help and sort it out properly for her.
David
Yup - I've come to that conclusion too.
Yes. I wondered about that. It also has no central heating, and when she was hale and hearty said she just didn't feel the cold. But now she does, and even at this still mild part of the year has bought an electric oil filled rad for the hallway.
================= It would be worth asking the Local Authority about Improvement Grants. I know that these are available under certain circumstances even for private homes and the recipient doesn't need to be in dire need. A neighbour of mine got extra insulation and some other work done shortly after having hip replacements and he is comfortably off.
A good starting point might be 'Age Concern'. I don't think they can do much practically but they often know which doors to knock on.
Cic.
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