Cut-out and Meter for flat in downstairs shop

[Capra]

Just wondering if anyone has anyone information on this:
Been asked to quote on a rewire for a 1 bed flat. The cutout and prepayment meter is in the shop below. (1 cut-out - henley blocked into 2 supplies) The flat and shop are owned by different people - but the shop owner allows the folks from upstairs to come into his shop, go behind the counter and top up their electricity. Understandably, the owner of the flat wants this changing, as he doesn't think that the shop owners are always going to want his tenants doing this. Is this set-up even permitted? Given that the flat tenants can't access the main fuse (or their own meter) anytime the shop is closed?

Further more, the sub-main supply up to the flat is via an old switch fuse, into a 10mm T&E.
They have 9.5kw shower, Ceramic Hob and an immersion heater!

To start with, I'm thinking of advising the sub-main be changed to 16mm SWA from switch fuse, with separate 10mm earth - any thoughts on this? (total run is 5m)

Many thanks

 

[buzzlightyear]

get DNO involve and put in new supply to the flat. splitting the shop and the flat will not be cheap.

 

[Capra]

Hi Buzz. So, Is the owner of the flat legally obliged to have a separate cut-out?

 

[Octopus]

Wonder what the deeds say about access to the meter?

It's not ideal imho

 

[Capra]

Aye, That's a good point.
Getting the meter moved upstairs shouldn't really be problem, I'm sure they'll come out and do that without financially crusifying him - since it will simply involve them taking it off the wall in the shop and sticking it upstairs on the other end of the sub-main - my concern really is that the shop and flat will still share the same cut-out.....

 

[Octopus]

^^ sharing a cut out is not unusual .....

 

[buzzlightyear]

no good having to get at the cut out if a fire started .and the shop shut .

 

[Percyprod]

Used to work for dno, would usually have to fit a credit meter at cut out and the pre payment in flat as a coin collector. Otherwise if you just put pre payment in flat with switch fuse at cut out position it would not be sealed. Best to have totally separate service position in the flat.

 

[Capra]

Many thanks for opinions on this. I'm going to give DNO a bell and get their take on it too. I get a feeling the customer doesn't want to pay for new service position.... probably a £couple grand that??

 

[DNO]

Probably originally all under same ownership. life moved on, flat and shop split, meter for flat fitted adjacent to shop meter. Now whole supply is overloaded and sooner or later main fuse will blow. Separate service reqd for flat, and yes , it will cost money.

 

[Leesparkykent]

I've just had this done on an old bank...it was all one entity before but now it's split in to a dentist on the ground floor with maisonette above. The DNO charged £1600 to put a joint in at the back of the building with external meter box. I then run in a distribution circuit.