Temporary electricity supply.

[Dave Plowman (News]

Back story. Next door neighbour is a widow near 90 living on her own. Very stubborn. Was born in her house and wants to die in it. Totally housebound and won't have any visitors since Covid. So haven't even spoken to her for a couple of years. Sad, as we got on well enough. She has family who call in every day, though.

Last week a pipe in the cellar split and flooded it - and next door's cellar too. Daughter waded into the cellar to turn off the water and got a bad electric shock. Ended up in A&E - but on the mend now.

Service suppliers cut off both the water and electricity. Insurance are meant to be pumping out the water, but nothing done as yet.

Son in law has been keeping me updated. When he said the power was off, I ran a cable reel to their kitchen from my house (fed from an MCBO protected ring) So at least she can watch TV - the only thing she does now. And a table light and the microwave. So she can have hot drinks and meals. Using bottled water, etc. Her cooker is electric, but does have a gas fire in the kitchen which works.

She refuses to go in a home of any sort. Her kids simply don't have room for her - and she is adamant she doesn't want to live with either of them anyway (I'm told) One of the daughters has lost patience and hardly ever calls.

The pipe should be easy enough to fix once the cellar is dry enough.

The electrics I know to be a total loss - all the lighting is pre-WW2, but a ring was added by her husband in the 60s. And she isn't willing to pay for a re-wire or put up with the disruption it would cause. A quote one of the kids got was 12K.

Is it possible to get a temporary supply laid on? If only the ring was connected to it that would be good enough for now.

She has agreed to move to a smaller place if one can be found nearby. And sell the house to pay for it. But I reckon something needs to be done sooner to make life bearable until then - ie just the same for her as it has been for the past two years. As moving is likely not going to be done quickly.

[N_Cook]

Any space for a caravan or even mobile home (don't tell the social ), it was ok for Alan Bennet's lady in the van

[Colin Bignell]

It wouldn't have been when I worked for an Electricity Board, if the wiring was deemed to be unsafe and I suspect we were a lot more accommodating than they are today.

In any case, if the water in the basement was live, the ring is probably out of action until that is pumped out. Do you know any firemen?

[Robin]

immediate thoughts:

1. I'd have done what you did but can't see how anyone with an eye to their professional liability would dare leave her with anything other than a temporary CU covering ring plus lighting, with main bonding and all. If the incomer is in the cellar and under water what's that? A temporary sub-main from next door?

1. she and you swap houses. A change is as good as a rest so it's win-win :)

2. sometimes old people are more inclined to listen to someone official. E.g. GP or social services (but good luck getting the latter to even answer the phone).

[Theo]

I wonder if someone could do a minimalist install. A basic CU at ground floor level, wiring all surface clipped. Would need some holes drilling to go between rooms but otherwise no attempt at tidy cable running. Then it just leaves the issue of the incoming feed, which could be from your CU (with meter) until such time as the supplier can sort something out. Or a generator perhaps.

(I viewed a house like that - the owner had attempted a DIY refurb and got themselves in too deep. I think this was their 'temporary' solution)

Just think of it as a source of many new DIY projects :)

Theo

[Tim+]

My mum (96) was in her own flat until December last year. Determined that was where she wanted to be and to enable this, we had organised live-in carers for the last two years. She clearly wasn?t happy but this was she said she wanted. Resisted any suggestion that she was ready for a home.

Last December she ended up in hospital and we took the opportunity to get her discharged to a home, ostensibly as an interim measure until she was fit to return home.

Well, she?s happier and healthier in the care home than she?s been in a very long time and hasn?t asked about returning to her flat once.

To be honest, I not sure if there are any transferable lessons to be drawn from this other than perhaps that fear of change outweighs any rational thought about any possible benefits from a change.

Even with hindsight, I don?t think we could have moved my mother sooner, even though it could have saved her months/years of loneliness. In your neighbours case it sound like it?ll take a similar crisis to precipitate a move away from her home.

housebound and won't

Well if it was my mother I?d cobble something together but you?d be on very shoogly ground legally doing it for anyone else. I suppose a professional sparky could perhaps legally make the wiring ?safe? by disconnecting everything pre-WW2 and checking the ring to see if it meets minimum standards. I?m sure Adam can advise.

Not being family I?m not sure that there?s much you can do other than to keep in touch with her and make sure she?s okay.

Tim

[Andrew]

This is SouthWest LOndon, and probably a terraced house that even in its current condition would have buyers fighting to buy, and pay silly money that would buy a really nice place further away from London.

[Andrew]

But this is London, so take that quote with the usual dose of salt.

[ARW]

I once did something the same but with trunking.

The electricity co will take no time to swap the cutout once the cellar is pumped out.

[Robin]

On 12/05/2022 19:04, ARW wrote: <snip>

Which prompts a question for Dave: was the meter flooded and if so is her supplier on notice to get it replaced?

That's based on my assumption that even in such cases UK Power Networks will do everything up to and including the meter board but not the meter itself.

[lacksey]

But it is silly to assume that everyone would react the same way.

[Tim+]

See below. I never suggested that everyone would. Still, your reading skills were never your strong point Wodney.

<plonk>

Tim

[Animal]

12k is nuts, unless it's a real large house. To reconnect supply the install only has to be 'safe'. A minimal install is not too much work, maybe a double socket per room, and preferably 1 light, all surface, plus CH feed.

[Theo]

If it were me I'd be tempted to find a location on the ground floor exterior for a meter box, with a CU inside somewhere nearby. Maybe the insurance would pay?

But I think you're right that the incomer is probably OK once dried out and the DNO will fit a new meter board and cutout. So you don't need a new incomer. It's not like flooding is a regular occurrence here, where it might be advisable to move it.

I forget the regs, is there any issue with having the meter somewhere distant from the cutout, assuming suitably robust cable? For example if the householder can't get down the stairs into the cellar any more, could it be moved to the ground floor next to a new CU? A smart meter shouldn't need to be accessible for meter readers in person, but sometimes suppliers still ask for readings (eg when changing supplier).

Either way, a new CU inside plus a few sockets with surface wiring would be a lot cheaper than a full rewire. Might have to do something about lighting, but maybe a few wall lights?

Theo

[Mark Carver]

The meters are no longer owned by the DNOs, it's the energy suppliers now (and if the same 'company' as the DNO, then it's the retail arm, and not the 'network' arm you need to talk to)

[Robin]

As a general rule, yes, but I just wondered if DNOs had authority to install a temporary meter in emergencies - possibly at a price to the user - prompted by the way suppliers cannot arbitrarily refuse to let customers provide their own meters.

[Theo]

I think that was Robin's point. The DNO will furnish you with a new meter board and cutout, but presumably won't wire anything past the cutout since that's the energy supplier's responsibility. Which leaves you without a working supply until your supplier can visit to install a new meter.

I contacted the late unlamented Symbio about doing something (non-emergency) to my meter and they replied about three weeks later. So wouldn't have held out much hope of them attending in a timely manner.

I'm not sure if there's anyone who takes charge here, or is the 90 year old supposed to coordinate between supplier and DNO?

Theo

[SH]

might be worth waving the "vulnerable customer" card on the grounds of her senior citizen status to get a priority appointment?

[Colin Bignell]

I would be talking to the local media by now. A human interest story, if ever there was one.

[Robin]

Although the full story may be less interesting - e.g. if the insurance company said straight away they would pay for her to move into a decent hotel until the cellar was pumped and power restored.