Jumping through the hoops.

[imago]

I rang the DNO to ask for an isolator to be fitted (rewire I'm doing). The first office gave me an enquiry number, then directed me to the 'team' for the area to ask them direct. Rang the 'team' and spoke to a woman who checked with a collegue and siad that they could come out and fit one in two weeks. A pain, but OK if that's what it takes.

She rang back half an hour later to say that they don't fit isolators. I asked how I should proceed, and she said that they could de-energise for me to do the work. I declined as I may need to isolate it again another day as the rewire is an empty house and won't be a one hit job. She put me on to an engineer and I explained the situation to him. I also pointed out that it can't be that unusual a request.

Anyway, to cut a long one short, they are now going to keep the appointment that was for fitting an isolator. Instead of fitting an isolator though the engineer will pull the fuse so that I can fit an isolator.

I spent longer on the phone than it will take to do the bloody job!

 

[Rockingit]

TBH, so long as the bullet looked in decent order I wouldn't even have bothered ringing them, just fitted one myself.

 

[imago]

and that's the way it'll get done 90% of the time with me. I just thought I'd go through the correct channels and doing it by the numbers as there's not much time pressure on this job and the customer is reasonably clued up in so far as what permissions are required etc.

When I spoke to the engineer and I said that it can't be an unusual request to fit an isolator he said "yeah, but most electrician's don't ring us. They pull the fuse and do it themselves."

Lesson learnt though.

 

[Octopus]

Said this before and will say it again.

All the DNO's need to have a consistent policy regarding isolators and that needs to include a fixed (low) price and a maximum wait time of 7 days.

In addition scheme members would be allowed to "by pass" those horrid call centres and book appointments with the teams that do it.

Rant over.

 

[poppypiesdad]

Couldnt agree with you more but we all know it ain't going to happen, unless youve been a board spark , or have contact that can give you a handful of wire and seals to reseal when your done, Yes i know were not allowed to and yes were not ment to speed but we've all done things that we shouldn't.

Jamie

 

[boberty]

Just done a job in Leeds and the meter was made by abb, and had a built in isolator behind the first cover. with access to the terminals for the c.u. tails. Then a second cover which was sealed for the suppliers tails, made the c.u. change much easier. And they cant make up thier minds wether to do this for the new digital meters how hard can it be for all the suppliers to sort out simple way to make safe isolation of meter tails this simple, as 25mm is what we are now requiered to fit, and the vast majority of older houses are 16mm. But as usual its all down to cost and elf and safety.

 

[Geordie Spark]

I rang the DNO to ask for an isolator to be fitted (rewire I'm doing). The first office gave me an enquiry number, then directed me to the 'team' for the area to ask them direct. Rang the 'team' and spoke to a woman who checked with a collegue and siad that they could come out and fit one in two weeks. A pain, but OK if that's what it takes.

She rang back half an hour later to say that they don't fit isolators. I asked how I should proceed, and she said that they could de-energise for me to do the work. I declined as I may need to isolate it again another day as the rewire is an empty house and won't be a one hit job. She put me on to an engineer and I explained the situation to him. I also pointed out that it can't be that unusual a request.

Anyway, to cut a long one short, they are now going to keep the appointment that was for fitting an isolator. Instead of fitting an isolator though the engineer will pull the fuse so that I can fit an isolator.

I spent longer on the phone than it will take to do the bloody job!

Now you know what to do the next time !!!

 

[Knobhead]

I’ve got to ask and be honest imago, what will you do in the future? Phone or cut?

Bob sounds like you landed in nirvana, exactly how things should be.

If the supply companies look at it realistically the provision of consumer accessible terminals makes sense. If an incoming meter seal has been cut it’s been for a nefarious reason. “Everything from the meter onwards is the responsibility of the customer” but you can’t touch what is rightfully yours!

I got my arse kicked by a NWEB engineer 35+ years ago for replacing a bunch of VIR tails for 25mm tails in to Henley blocks in my own house. As he said, “yes, it is now safer, but don’t do it again”. Must have had my earplugs in that day. I’ve not done much domestic work but seals annoy me if they put me at risk. In industry safe isolation is drummed in to you, go out in the public sector the supply companies do all they can to put you at risk! ((Rant over) for now)

 

[GavinB]

This all a nightmare I've now started getting isolators fitted but there is a massive inconsistency between the DNO's:
Eon - just over week wait free
British Gas - 2 week wait £35
EDF - 2 Week £53 they won't fit isolator they have a 2 hours slot am to pull fuse, you then fit isolator and then 2 hour slot pm to refit fuse!!!!! not used them yet!
used to cut and pull myself but thought I would try to be good but not sure it will last, with the extra cost and time delay to clients!!!

 

[imago]

I’ve got to ask and be honest imago, what will you do in the future? Phone or cut?

I will have the seal off and pull the fuse unless it looks old or damaged.

I prefer to do things by the book, even where it costs me a bit of time or money. In this situation it would do both, and inconvenience the customer needlessly (IMHO). If/when they can come up with a system that is fit for purpose I will use it. Until then I will apply Occam's razor.

 

[grimysparks80]

I always used to cut the seals and fit the things myself but in the last few months I tried to do things properly. With one company it took me an hour and a half to even speak to someone who knew what an isolation switch was. One told me to cut the seal and pull the fuse and another we are still waiting for.

The worst thing is if you try and do it properly and they wont help you then you cant pull the fuse afterwards and say the seal was already cut.

N power have been really good so far tho. Ive had 2 jobs with them and both times theyve agreed to come out within a week and fit an isolation switch free of charge.

 

[imago]

So, two blokes turned up today. They had new 25mm tails and an isolator, which they duly fitted. You just couldn't make it up.

Nice blokes though, had a chat to them and they were saying that there's no chance of getting any sense out of the office. I explained the saga to them, and they said that it was pretty much par for the course. They just do what it says on the job ticket, and in this case it was fit an isolator and upgrade the tails. We discussed the fact that it now had a 60 amp fuse in the head supplying 25mm tails to the meter. 25mm from the meter to the 100 amp double pole isolator, and 25mm to the CU from there. He also fitted a new earth block to take the 16mm from the board, and the two 10mm from the gas and water. Slight overkill, but hey it's not as if copper's expensive, and heaven forbid anyone would be interested in the load calcs.

With the DNO white tails, and the grey ones I fitted, the meter box looks more like a manifold for underfloor heating than an electricity supply. It's neat work though, so I guess we'll have to accept form over function on this one. Plus I now have a nice Hager isolator and its enclosure to put into 'stock' as I'd already fitted it and coupled the tails to the CU ready for his arrival.

 

[grimysparks80]

Ive just been back to a job in Doncaster to connect up my e7 storage heaters to an isolation switch that Npower have been out to fit. The customer called to tell me it was ready.

Unfortunately when I got there i found that Npower have fitted the isolation switch onto the main supply so I still cant connect to the E7 supply. Another call and another 1-2 week wait.