Changing Electric Meter !

[waitees]

Hi all

We carried out a job a couple of months ago on an old Victorian house, now converted into five flats, it was badly in need of a Ryefield board and switches.

The cupboard was a bit of a squeeze, for a fire panel and small landlord board.

We found the meters a bit of a squeeze (Big old style) and the customer has asked for these to be upgraded to digital.

Four of them were changed and all the new numbers were given to the suppliers, my god what a mistake.

They are now saying as we are not an approved meter installer, they are trying to charge £450 for one of the meters which is British Gas.

Now we had this before in the past and the meter was dangerous, so we installed one provided by the wholesaler, give the numbers job done, no problem.

But i am quickly finding out this is the biggest mistake, in changing them over.

I am looking to see if anyone has been in this situation before, NICEIC say its a grey area !!

any help would be extremely grateful !

 

[trev]

Because it's someone else's property. You can't mess about with the property of others without their permission.

 

[Pete999]

I asked a question similar a while ago, just got told its a no no, without an explanation why or what law it breaks.
To me saying an electrician can't change an electricity meter is stupid, its like telling a kitchen fitter not to put in extra sockets!

Well he shouldn't should he, the kitchen fitter that is

 

[7029 dave]

I asked a question similar a while ago, just got told its a no no, without an explanation why or what law it breaks.
To me saying an electrician can't change an electricity meter is stupid, its like telling a kitchen fitter not to put in extra sockets!
7029Dave could you point me in the direction of what law/reg says we can't? I understand new meters have to meet certain requirements to be put into service tho

www.mocopa.org.uk/, take a look.

 

[mechelec]

My old meter is electro/mechanical and the numbers on the dial are really adding up since I started a bit of in house horticulture. Would it be ok for me to fit my own meter as I guess it would start again at zero.

 

[Tidy Max]

I asked a question similar a while ago, just got told its a no no, without an explanation why or what law it breaks.

To me saying an electrician can't change an electricity meter is stupid, its like telling a kitchen fitter not to put in extra sockets!
7029Dave could you point me in the direction of what law/reg says we can't? I understand new meters have to meet certain requirements to be put into service tho

Why would a kitchen fitter be fitting extra sockets? I wouldn't go fitting a kitchen just because the sockets i were installing were in one!

 

[Pete999]

Why would a kitchen fitter be fitting extra sockets? I wouldn't go fitting a kitchen just because the sockets i were installing were in one!

Can you explain that a bit better

 

[Tidy Max]

Probably not my English is terrible.

I was trying to say, a kitchen fitter should be expected to fit sockets as much as i should be expected to fit a kitchen.

Kitchen fitter fits kitchen.
Electrician fits sockets.

 

[Andy78]

I'd go one better and tell the kitchen fitter that he shouldn't be installing sockets, then go and fit a kitchen, better than he could.

 

[Plonker 3]

Probably not my English is terrible.

I was trying to say, a kitchen fitter should be expected to fit sockets as much as i should be expected to fit a kitchen.

Kitchen fitter fits kitchen.
Electrician fits sockets.

So you have never done a job that someone else is trained to do?

 

[amckay]

I asked a question similar a while ago, just got told its a no no, without an explanation why or what law it breaks.
To me saying an electrician can't change an electricity meter is stupid, its like telling a kitchen fitter not to put in extra sockets!
7029Dave could you point me in the direction of what law/reg says we can't? I understand new meters have to meet certain requirements to be put into service tho

www.mocopa.org.uk/, take a look.

So just an agreement with guidelines?
Anyone can make departures from bs7671 provided that the departure/s do not impair the safety of the installation.
Now I'm not "trained" to install meters but the state of some of the tails I've seen (exposed copper conductors showing) not being terminated properly and with stamped security seals still in place, I'd go as far as saying these meter fitters are a disgrace and shouldn't even be allowed to look at a screwdriver let alone touch one

 

[amckay]

Can anyone provide any information of any electrician who has ever been convicted of "interference of a meter" for just replacing an old one with a new meter that met the standards? I severely doubt it.

 

[7029 dave]

So just an agreement with guidelines?
Anyone can make departures from bs7671 provided that the departure/s do not impair the safety of the installation.
Now I'm not "trained" to install meters but the state of some of the tails I've seen (exposed copper conductors showing) not being terminated properly and with stamped security seals still in place, I'd go as far as saying these meter fitters are a disgrace and shouldn't even be allowed to look at a screwdriver let alone touch one

So what you have described, could it not be an case of tampering.?

 

[davesparks]

Can anyone provide any information of any electrician who has ever been convicted of "interference of a meter" for just replacing an old one with a new meter that met the standards? I severely doubt it.

Why don't you go and change a meter, then call the meter operator so they can come and collect the one you removed then see what they say?

 

[trev]

Can anyone provide any information of any electrician who has ever been convicted of "interference of a meter" for just replacing an old one with a new meter that met the standards? I severely doubt it.

Not a criminal case but how about this thread as an example of what can go wrong.

 

[amckay]

Probably the same script as the op, but I wouldn't pay it. I'd tell em to call HSE if they wanna know its safe and fit for continued use and I certainly wouldn't be paying them a single penny.

Not that I actually fit meters but its just a different angle of thought. There simply isn't a law to saw you can't do.
Think of it this way, its a legal requirement to be gas safe registered to work on combi boilers, but its not a legal requirement to have any kind of electrical qualification to be an electrician, but people do