Removing unused electricity meter box

Dec 17, 2006 11 Replies

My house used to be two flats and was coverted back to a house before I purchased it.



There are two large electricity boxes embedded in my side wall. One is empty except for a short cable which connects to a small box. I don't know what this box is.



Having this unused box there means it is difficult to heat the hallway on the other side of the wall as I have an old Victorian house.



Would it be easy to remove this cupboard so I can fill the void with brickwork? Would I need to get my electricity company to do it, and if so, any idea of possible price for this?


Steve.......



For the moment, 'cuz it's winter, couldn't you stuff it full with fibreglass insulation?

-- Adrian C

Yes, I was going to do that. I have loads of the stuff in my garage.

Can you describe this box and cable in more detail: eg where does the cable come from? What sort of box? Openable? Can you upload a picture somewhere?

Could it be an incoming cable from the street which has been capped off?

David

My electricity meter in a Permali box outside the house was replaced the other day with a TINY Siemens meter about 5" x 3" x 2" - about half the size of its precursor.

Somewhere I have a proper electricity meter in a 3/8" thick glass case about 10" x 6" x 4"

Here are a few links to photos of the box inside my unused electricity cupboard. Hope they work.

1)
formatting link
formatting link
formatting link
cupboard is not used as my electricity meter is in a capboard next to this one.

Steve.......

That's a Henley block (you can tell by the label :-) ) - it's basically a heavy-duty connection block to connect cables to the mains incomer rising up through the floor. Presumably it is live under the cover (hence the electricity board seals) and would have originally had a lecky meter and consumer unit/fusebox attached.

It's what I guessed at in my last post it seems

David

electricity

basically

Nope David !

That's NOT a Henley Block, that's a Henley Fuse Carrier. A Henley Block is smaller, more rectangular and is only a junction block containing usually two heavy plated brass bars insulated from each other for live and neutral, and they are usually ridiculously brittle!

This is a Henley Block:

formatting link

So I will need to have my electricity company to remove this then, so I can remove the metal cupboard and brick up the void?

The other electricity cupboard containing my meter is immediately to the left of the empty cupboard.

Presumably so. Do you know where the other end of the aformentioned cable actually goes? Does it go all the way out to the road, or does it come from the other cupboard? If the former, I'm not sure how you'd remove it completely and safely without digging up the road?

David

I will try and see if I can work it out.

I suspect though, that it comes from the other cupboard as my house was originally a house before conversion to two flats and then back to a house again.

There is no sign of any trench being dug from that area to the road.

Steve.....

If the floor of the cupboard is wood and is easily accessible, then the electricity supply company would be able to safely terminate the supply under the floor for you. There would probably be a cost involved as well, so try not to baulk too loudly down the phone when they give you the surprise

Join the Discussion

Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.

Didn't find your answer?

Ask the community — no account required