Which energy supplier to get isolator switch fitted FOC

Personally I would tug the board fuse, move the CU meter tails from the CU to the isolator and then install new tails from isolator to CU.

From previous experience, meter readesr/DNO operatives doesn't care if main fuse seals are missing.

The other option is to purchase the isolator and cable, request a smart meter and then offer beer tokens to the installer.

Charles F

Yes, when I moved/changed our consumer units a few years ago I did this and the seal has never been replaced.

Done it thousands of times (cut the seal not fitted thousands of isolators).

A Wylex REC2 isolator is £12.99 from ToolStation but the OP can have the unused one I have for P&P. I can even throw in some new meter tails if required.

What is the point of an isolator. Some time ago the tech guy round checking for meter dates told me that most meters these days, from the one with the blinking lights onwards, have had to have an always on supply, though I did point out that in a power cut it could hardly have one!

Brian

For safety when doing any future work on the installation (new consumer unit, splitting tails with henley blocks etc).

Smart meters "phone home" on battery backup if there's a power cut. If only one meter phones home then it's treated as a tamper alert, and on the electrician's forum there are several reports of the DNO turning up quickly suspecting people are trying to fiddle the meter.

Owain

Not been caught out yet.

But there is no need to remove the meter covers (which might activate a phone home call).

Pull the fuse. Cut the meter tails to match the isolator, install isolator and fit new tails between the isolator and the CU.

I do not believe that pulling a fuse causes a phone home.

Exactly what I did some years ago. Being very careful with the board fuse as it was quite old.

Weren't you a bit worried about TMH's daughter's meter?

Eon recently fitted a new Henley block FOC - but only because it was deemed necessary for a smart meter. Which I apparently agreed to when I switched to them. I'll switch again when I'm out of their commitment period as they're no longer competitive.

All that said, I can't see how I can isolate the supply. They replaced the previous ancient switch box with this:

That isn't a henley block, it's a cutout that happens to be manufactured by henley.

Thanks for the offer, but the installation is somewhat old and I am disinclined to touch any of it unnecessarily.

I've booked British Gas to do it, they charged me £31.42 which is a no-brainer for me. It's going to take bloody ages for them to come round (January 2020!), but we moved in this week, so there is no shortage of stuff for me to get done before then.

First priority looks like the socket in the kitchen where I plugged my laptop in, and rapidly unplugged it because the socket was crackling. Flush mounted with the tiles, and grouted in, of course.

Not really. You learn when not to worry.

When they came to swap the meter they knew straight away what had happened and were not bothered. I was worried about her partner removing the bypass meter leads as he is not good with electricity.

The illegal secondary unmetered electricity supply to a house caused a lot of grief when the ground workers chopped though it with their digger. I only got away with that by the skin of my teeth by some clever thinking and an apprentice who was a genius at hiding the illegal cut out in an empty house.

We expect photo of how you solve it!

BTW I'll now make the offer of a REC2 isolator and meter tails to any poster that asks for them with the same terms and conditions (ie P&P only)

??!! - come on!

OK, thanks. But is it an isolator? If so, I can't see how I'm supposed to isolate the main fuse box.

No, it isn't, you'd have to cut the seal and pull the fuse, but at least a shiny new cutout is unlikely to disintegrate in your hands.

red/black or brown/blue ;-)

Owain