My supplier says my meter is installed illegally, how do I rectify this?

benawhile · Jan 15, 2025

While in communication with my electricity provider, Octopus, about fitting a smartmeter, and providing photographs, I have been told that my electric meter has been illegally boxed in. The kitchen was professionally fitted 4 years ago with the resulting boxing in of the meter.

Please could you advise the minimum I need to do to make it legal again as I wish to have a smart meter installed, as I am concerned that the current meter may be expired and unsafe.

The shelf that obstructs access is currently easily removable, it rests on a few removable pegs.

How far do I need to cut back the backboard?

Do I need to improve access to the first connection from the mains input as well?

We had the house upgraded and the builders insisted on dot and dab all over the kitchen, after the rewiring and new distribution board, with a very ugly result as you can see, so the kitchen fitter was left with little option.

littlespark · Jan 15, 2025

One of the big things these days is ease of access to equipment for maintenance and emergency purposes.
Even just for inspections, the cables between the equipment need to be visible.

You may need to take the back off both the base and wall units… enough to expose the incoming cable, main fuse, meter and the consumer unit in the top cupboard, to allow engineers to change the meter.

You can of course put in a removable panel back afterwards…. But it has to be easily and obviously removable.

As for the consumer unit itself… I wouldn’t obstruct it with a shelf, even if it is just sitting on support pegs.
You should be able to open the cover and turn off a breaker without taking a pile of cans out first.

Simon47 · Jan 15, 2025

That's a good one from the WTF department.
As littlespark says, you'll need to remove whatever is needed to make everything accessible.
I'd be calling back the fitters and telling them to fix their complete and utter f-up.

James · Jan 15, 2025

I am not convinced that the meter fitters or the DNO are going to accept working inside a cupboard like that, even if it had no back panel.
I think the service head and meter might need to be moved outside into its own box.

James · Jan 15, 2025

this may be of some help

westward10 · Jan 15, 2025

That looks a quality job.

Jock from the north · Jan 15, 2025

benawhile said:
While in communication with my electricity provider, Octopus, about fitting a smartmeter, and providing photographs, I have been told that my electric meter has been illegally boxed in. The kitchen was professionally fitted 4 years ago with the resulting boxing in of the meter.

Please could you advise the minimum I need to do to make it legal again as I wish to have a smart meter installed, as I am concerned that the current meter may be expired and unsafe.

The shelf that obstructs access is currently easily removable, it rests on a few removable pegs.

How far do I need to cut back the backboard?

Do I need to improve access to the first connection from the mains input as well?

We had the house upgraded and the builders insisted on dot and dab all over the kitchen, after the rewiring and new distribution board, with a very ugly result as you can see, so the kitchen fitter was left with little option.

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Hi why do you believe the current meter is unsafe .

benawhile · Jan 16, 2025

James said:
I am not convinced that the meter fitters or the DNO are going to accept working inside a cupboard like that, even if it had no back panel.
I think the service head and meter might need to be moved outside into its own box.

Thanks for replying. You mean on to the exterior side of the wall, or just outside the cupboard? Anyway, there's no other room in the kitchen to mount it all so guess will have to go outside. Understand that will cost a lot more and more hassle, apart from that, any disadvantages to moving outside

benawhile · Jan 16, 2025

Jock from the north said:
Hi why do you believe the current meter is unsafe .

not the meter, I meant the installation

benawhile · Jan 16, 2025

James said:
this may be of some help

Thanks, I already found that one

Jock from the north · Jan 16, 2025

benawhile said:
While in communication with my electricity provider, Octopus, about fitting a smartmeter, and providing photographs, I have been told that my electric meter has been illegally boxed in. The kitchen was professionally fitted 4 years ago with the resulting boxing in of the meter.

Please could you advise the minimum I need to do to make it legal again as I wish to have a smart meter installed, as I am concerned that the current meter may be expired and unsafe.

The shelf that obstructs access is currently easily removable, it rests on a few removable pegs.

How far do I need to cut back the backboard?

Do I need to improve access to the first connection from the mains input as well?

We had the house upgraded and the builders insisted on dot and dab all over the kitchen, after the rewiring and new distribution board, with a very ugly result as you can see, so the kitchen fitter was left with little option.

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benawhile said:
not the meter, I meant the installation

Ah I see

Teddy Lop · Jan 16, 2025

James said:
I am not convinced that the meter fitters or the DNO are going to accept working inside a cupboard like that, even if it had no back panel.
I think the service head and meter might need to be moved outside into its own box.

Yeah they're fussy SoBs at the best of times and can and do walk away if they don't like the look of it, and working inside a cupboard is a PITA.

brianmoooore · Jan 16, 2025

The problem at the moment is that you want them to do something. They are obliged to replace meters that are out of certification and are under government pressure to fit smart meters.
If you can change this around, so that you are offering them the chance to fit a smart meter, you may just be able to get it moved outside for free.
I had a situation a few years ago when they were obliged to change a service pole, which would have been free, but then, after they discovered that the pole was in the way of my proposed building work, it suddenly went from free to north of £3000. I stood my ground, called their bluff, and eventually the service pole and meters were relocated to a position that suited me, was much easier for them, and the cost was back to zero.

Teddy Lop · Jan 19, 2025

benawhile said:
We had the house upgraded and the builders insisted on dot and dab all over the kitchen, after the rewiring and new distribution board, with a very ugly result as you can see, so the kitchen fitter was left with little option.

The kitchen fitter had a number of options, choosing to mostly cover and make inaccessible what was there was one of the poorer ones, and is inexcusable.

as for builders - what do you think the alternative to installing plasterboard after the rewiring should have been? I'd have advocated for moving the meter outside and running a submain to a new location for the consumer unit, but it all depends what budget/instructions the guys were working to.

Also curious what protection the meter tails have...