moving electric meter?

[soitra15]

hi sorry for such a basic question but it needs asking,
my parents run a pub and the takeaway next doors electric meter is in their cellar, the owners of the takeaway have been quoted £1200 to move it into their cellar, even though it would be an hours work.
the pub runs off a 3 phase supply with the takeaway and the flat above the pub running off L1 which goes to Henly blocks and then splits to separate meters for each property.
so my question is this would i be ok to move the meter to the other side of a single skin block wall into the takeaways cellar? it is an approximate 2m move.
in doing so however i would have to remove the main incoming fuse which doesn't have any seals on it anyway (none of the fuses for the incoming 3 phase have!!!)
or will they have to pay the extortionate amount the electric company has quoted them?

 

[telectrix]

you can do it, but at your own risk.

 

[nickblake]

You could open a can of worms if something goes wrong , it not single phase its nasty voltages i'd leave well alone

 

[Octopus]

No decent sparky would move a suppliers meter IMHO

 

[soitra15]

No I wouldn't usually consider it but the price compared to the amount of work involved seems abit extreme.
The main point of my question which I didn't seem to explain very well in my original post would be the legal issues, with the supply splitting before the meter where does the suppliers responsibility end would it still be the meter or the henly blocks?
also what would be the issues when it came to reading the meter? Obviously the electric company has records of the meters location

 

[uksparks]

I think the best advice would be not to touch it as its not your property and moving it could land you in trouble with potential fines and all sorts, it's quite likely to when it gets read and it's not where it's meant to be. I fully understand your issue and reluctance in paying the fee, but sometimes you have to.

 

[Engineer54]

my parents run a pub and the takeaway next doors electric meter is in their cellar, the owners of the takeaway have been quoted £1200 to move it into their cellar, even though it would be an hours work.

Ask for an itemised B&Q to see where the high costs are being generated and may be then question.

It may look like only an hours work, but that depends on what the DNO quote includes. It may be they are planning to supply the takeaway with it's own service cable and service fuse taken from the existing 3 phase, service cut out, looping out of the L1 supply in/ Neutral supply in, and not just as you are assuming, moving the metre into the takeaways basement....

 

[driverman]

Ask for an itemised B&Q to see where the high costs are being generated and may be then question.

It may look like only an hours work, but that depends on what the DNO quote includes. It may be they are planning to supply the takeaway with it's own service cable and service fuse taken from the existing 3 phase, service cut out, looping out of the L1 supply in/ Neutral supply in, and not just as you are assuming, moving the metre into the takeaways basement....

Basically the same as i was going to say. Where you want the meter will require it's own supply. It is not the case of moving the actual meter itself and using next doors supply. look at the quote that has been provided and see what actual work in involved. I bet the DNO has quoted for a new supply from the main possibly on the highway footpath. Also they will not put new supply in a cellar like they did years ago.

 

[Engineer54]

Basically the same as i was going to say. Where you want the meter will require it's own supply. It is not the case of moving the actual meter itself and using next doors supply. look at the quote that has been provided and see what actual work in involved. I bet the DNO has quoted for a new supply from the main possibly on the highway footpath. Also they will not put new supply in a cellar like they did years ago.

I don't think the DNO's would have any qualms at all about using the cellar, if that's where the existing service head is located. Pretty sure they won't be wanting to dig up the street/foot path when/where a much easier route is openly available to them. It won't however stop them charging the same as digging up the street though!! lol!!

 

[driverman]

I don't think the DNO's would have any qualms at all about using the cellar, if that's where the existing service head is located. Pretty sure they won't be wanting to dig up the street/foot path when/where a much easier route is openly available to them. It won't however stop them charging the same as digging up the street though!! lol!!

Understand what you mean, but the OP was on about a new meter being installed in the cellar next door. I think the DNO has quoted for a brand new supply to be taken from the main I doubt that they will loop from the existing 3 phase head. They tend not to loop nowadays, Also new supplies if internal, are not installed below ground level. One reason flooding, second reason fire / fumes filling an enclosed area like a cellar. Be nice if OP came back to say what the DNO did in fact propose for £1200