Pre pay meter

[leep82]

Just had a phone call of a friend in a panic because his electric has gone off. He says all MCBs and main switches are still in the on position an nothing has tripped. He's just had a new born so didnt want to leave him in the **** so i went to have a look. He has a pre pay meter which he is adamant had money left on it. I took the DB cover off and checked for voltage at the main switch Live-Earth 240v, Neutral-Earth 240v?, Live-Neutral nothing! Initially I thought maybe the main fuse had gone but finding a supply at the main switch ruled that out. Is it likely to be a fault within the pre pay meter or have I missed somthing really simple?

 

[stuartcourt]

have you tried putting on another 10er

 

[stuartcourt]

not taking **** I messed around with neighbours for about hour on Christmas Eve and it just needed more on it

 

[trev]

Easiest way is get the voltstick out and trace from the cut out. If it shows no juice after the meter then they probably need to go and stick a tenner on

 

[KevinS]

I see this all the time
He has no credit
if u look closely, it will say a figure usually about £6 and it will also say 'debt' in smaller writing. And possibly have a capital E (for emergency credit)
£10 will solve the problem

 

[leep82]

I've got juice after the meter trev. Strange that I've got 240v neutral-earth but live-neutral nothing. The meter has no indicator light lit and nothing on the display

 

[GLENNSPARK]

whats the earthing arrangements?...TN-S?

 

[GLENNSPARK]

may be a dropped neutral

 

[sparky1502]

I believe the meter cuts the voltage to the live but u may get some kind of back feed after the meter via the neutral perhaps . I only think this because I once sawed a meter rigged by bridging live and live

 

[GLENNSPARK]

or its reversed polarity connection at the meter as the neutral is straight through....

 

[stuartcourt]

he must of sorted it

 

[Knobhead]

Stuart, what ever you do, don't saw a live meter.

 

[ayjay]

get a proper meter fitted

 

[stuartcourt]

If it ends up out of money bagsey thanks

 

[leep82]

Not sorted it guys, told him to ring his supplier, I'm not going messing around in the meter no more I could really do. He said there was a buzzing before he lost power and has had no problems in the years he's lived there, so why suddenly now? If it turns out he needed more money then I'm sure hell feel very stupid when the engineer comes out although he insisted there was plenty on the meter