Main Isolator Switch - whom to contact?

[Goody]

Hi,

I live in Ilford (Essex) and I am trying to have an Isolator switch put in to isolate electricity from Meter Tails to Distribution Board. I have contacted EDF (my electricity supplier) and they said that they won't do it and I have to get an electrician do it. I explained to them that the work involved breaking the seal and removing the main fuse but they still insisted that I deal with an electrician.

When I spoke to South East England UK Power Networks on 0800 783 8866, they said I should speak to EDF. I was kept passing on from one to another without any joy.

Can someone tell me whom I should contact for this?

Regards.

 

[malcolmsanford]

It is not compulsory for the DNO to fit an isolator, in many cases they may do. it seems to me that you are the unlikely client that they won't.

I would follow the DNO advice and contact a local electrician who will quote you for fitting an isolator, and with him you can arrange for the DNO to come and disconnect the supply while the connections are made, of course there are some electrcians that I believe will remove the DNO fuse themselves and do all the work wothout DNO intravention, this of course will be the decision of the Electrician who is doing the work.

 

[KFH]

Change to a supplier who will provide an isolator. On recent job Southern Electric came out to me within a week (Cheshire) and fittted a new meter with isolator. No idea what their electricity prices are like though.

 

[Goody]

Thank you guys, for the replies.

Cheers!

 

[jaresquire]

Had the same run-around where I live, in the end could only arrange a temp disconnection/reconnect whilst I supplied and fitted the isolator (had to follow the book on this job) the b'stards!

 

[Des 56]

Hi,

I I am trying to have an Isolator switch put in to isolate electricity from Meter Tails to Distribution Board. I.


Can someone tell me whom I should contact for this?
Regards.

Well theres a guy living Illford essex who could do the job
Iif only he had visitations of the seal fairy
He goes by the forum name of Goody and with some persuasion,he will do what countless other sparks do when confronted with administration nightmares that are the DNOs, he will do the job himself

 

[brucelee]

Hi mate do as Des has suggested or change to british gas who fit one with new tails, Digi meter as well as a new 100A fuse if needed and all for £39 which is not to expensive

 

[Geordie Spark]

Well theres a guy living Illford essex who could do the job
Iif only he had visitations of the seal fairy
He goes by the forum name of Goody and with some persuasion,he will do what countless other sparks do when confronted with administration nightmares that are the DNOs, he will do the job himself

I very recently fitted an isolator in my own house & at the same time took the opportunity to change the rather tatty looking 16mm tails from the isolator to my CU with 25mm tails.

I left the tatty old 16mm tails from the cut out to the meter, & from the meter to the isolator as I didn't want to risk chopping the seal off the meter.

two days ago, I was visited by a young bloke about 5 minutes out of his nappies who came to fit a new meter. I gave him two 25mm tails & asked him to use them to replace the worse-for-wear 16mm ones ........ He refused!!!

I asked him what was the difference to him - it would have been just as easy for him to fit the new 25mm tails as it was to fit the old 16mm ones. He said he wasn't allowed to !!!

The mind boggles - it really does !!!

 

[Goody]

Well theres a guy living Illford essex who could do the job
Iif only he had visitations of the seal fairy
He goes by the forum name of Goody and with some persuasion,he will do what countless other sparks do when confronted with administration nightmares that are the DNOs, he will do the job himself

Thanks for the hint. I am really getting P****d off by this EDF and the so called DNO having their own policy when it comes to helping customers. I don't blame those "Daring Sparks" breaking the seals themselves and pulling the main fuse!

Yes, I could do it myself but it's part of my assessment and I don't want to get caught. I have recently changed over from British Gas to EDF and now it looks like I have to find one that installs an Isolator as part of the deal.

Cheers!

 

[JulianC]

I could do it myself but it's part of my assessment and I don't want to get caught.
Cheers!

Wouldn't let that stop you. Did exactly the same thing when I changed my CU - put new 25mm tails in to an isolator, leaving the original 16mm tails to the meter. Used that job for my assessment. Assessor asked how I got on dealing with the DNO to cut the seal and pull the fuse. I said 'what seal'. He laughed.

 

[Goody]

Wouldn't let that stop you. Did exactly the same thing when I changed my CU - put new 25mm tails in to an isolator, leaving the original 16mm tails to the meter. Used that job for my assessment. Assessor asked how I got on dealing with the DNO to cut the seal and pull the fuse. I said 'what seal'. He laughed.

That's what I should, I suppose!

Cheers!

 

[nikmet]

I called british gas today on behalf of an elderly customer, the cost??......................£43 to fit the isolation switch and another £43 to change about 12" of 16mm old tails to new 25mm tails, Most other suppliers i deal with make NO charge for this work, BG wouldnt class it as one job even though its carried out at same time......RIP OFF!!!

 

[londonlec]

Doesn't sound too bad a price to me, I'm a one man band and would probably charge roughly the same.