Splitting a mains supply

[Beaubleep]

I recently bought a property consisting of a ground floor cafe and an upstairs apartment.
It had one mains supply with a mains meter which supplied the cafe then a sub meter which supplied the upstairs apartment.
The landlord subtracted one from the other to give separate bills?
I want to have two separate meters installed to be able to get two separate bills for each address.
Is it possible to split the mains supply cable?
Does it need to be a certain size to do this and if so who would I need to contact to find out if this is a possibility?

 

[Strima]

Speak to your supplier.

 

[Percyprod]

Usually you can have 2 supplies off one cut out, as there are 2 sets of outgoing terminals on most cut outs. . It therefore just needs a second meter. The supplier will need a load assessment to make sure the total load is ok.

 

[Beaubleep]

Many thanks. I'm being told that this supply cable isn't big enough to supply two properties and I need to have 2 brand new supplies put in which will involve coming across a road, traffic lights the whole caboodle.
The other alternative was to have a split put in with another sub meter to supply the 2nd property which to me doesn't make much sense.
Its either not big enough to supply the 2 properties or it is regardless as to whether its a sub meter or two separate meters?
I'm away until the weekend but will get in touch with my supplier, British Gas when I return.

 

[PEG]

Many thanks. I'm being told that this supply cable isn't big enough to supply two properties and I need to have 2 brand new supplies put in which will involve coming across a road, traffic lights the whole caboodle.
The other alternative was to have a split put in with another sub meter to supply the 2nd property which to me doesn't make much sense.
Its either not big enough to supply the 2 properties or it is regardless as to whether its a sub meter or two separate meters?
I'm away until the weekend but will get in touch with my supplier, British Gas when I return.

Oh my giddy aunt...it may be cheaper to build a small reactor

 

[Spoon]

I'm away until the weekend but will get in touch with my supplier, British Gas when I return.

Good luck with that..... They will say that you need your gas, water, house and undies upgrading as well.....

 

[PEG]

Here's one...BG ring and say "you have to have a smart meter fitted..."

I reply "are you sure that's a have?"

They do this four times,on the fifth,i ask if they want to get some legal guidance on this statement...

They ask "do i want to have a smart meter?"

The meter pusher then gets the picture,and i ask if they can ask five questions,can i ask one...i get a nervous yes...

I ask "if you actually had designed,a working metering device,which could record smartness,and you had an example,set up and functioning ,in your office...would the needle have moved off the zero,today?"

......."is there anything else,i can help you with,today sir?..."

 

[mhar]

Usually you can have 2 supplies off one cut out, as there are 2 sets of outgoing terminals on most cut outs. . It therefore just needs a second meter. The supplier will need a load assessment to make sure the total load is ok.

I have had a couple of occasions where pme has only been allowed on one of the supplies when it is split like this

 

[Spoon]

I ask "if you actually had designed,a working metering device,which could record smartness,and you had an example,set up and functioning ,in your office...would the needle have moved off the zero,today?"

Mine would be at zero this morning... Switched off the alarm and went back to sleep again... Then again this is taking the thread off subject.... and I never do that....

 

[Octopus]

I'm being told that this supply cable isn't big enough to supply two properties and I need to have 2 brand new supplies put in which will involve coming across a road, traffic lights the whole caboodle.

By who?

 

[PEG]

I recently bought a property consisting of a ground floor cafe and an upstairs apartment.
It had one mains supply with a mains meter which supplied the cafe then a sub meter which supplied the upstairs apartment.
The landlord subtracted one from the other to give separate bills?
I want to have two separate meters installed to be able to get two separate bills for each address.
Is it possible to split the mains supply cable?
Does it need to be a certain size to do this and if so who would I need to contact to find out if this is a possibility?

Hi,and welcome.
So you purchased this property as two legitimate enterprises? In which case,any survey would have identified the possible issues,of the one supply,which invariably,was to a single dwelling,in the past.

If any of the above is wrong,i apologise,but you are where you are.

You will have to make a decision,based on an assessment of either use,and/or any previous issues. You can add to this process,your thoughts on future occurrences,like having a reliable supply to any let part,or if you decide to apply to separate the two.

If the financial side,does not cover having independent supplies,then you are down to mitigating the maximum possible loads,by design,in both parts,and being responsible for those choices.

It is no good,waiting to referee a fight between the cafe proprietor and the flat tenant,because they chose to fit a pizza oven and a 10kW shower,both on the same day

 

[Tes369]

Off topic..

I lived in a flat once above a threshers off licence and I realised that it wasn't split from the shop downstairs properly. Certain sockets were live when you knocked off the supply. Needless to say i moved the tumble dryer into the hallway and rearranged the living room accordingly

 

[Beaubleep]

Sorry about the slowness in replying I'm away at the moment.
In answer to some of the questions.
Murdoch.
Western Power originally told me they could split the cable and pin two separate supplies to the building. At a cost of roughly£2,500
I'm now being told that the planner has spoken to "someone" and they have said that the supply cable isn't big enough to supply two properties. This is in spite of 1. It used to and 2. we could run a private sub meter of the main one to supply the second property.
I'm no electrician but this seems nonsensical to me.
They now say road closures, 2 new supplies etc and a new quote of £6,000 plus.
Peg
The property downstairs used to be a post office then a cafe. The upstairs was a 4 bed flat. The property had one main meter and a sub meter for the upstairs. One was subtracted from the other to give separate bills. All a bit Mickey mouse but it worked for at least 20 years this way.
I've bought the property and am converting the downstairs to a 2 bed flat and the upstairs to a 3 bed flat.
I want each to have their own meter but am a little sceptical as to what Western Power are now saying and trying to charge me.
At the end of the day if I have to pay the £6,000 or so I will have to but if the supply cable is big enough which I believe it is then I am going to try and avoid the costs of two brand new supplies.
And Peg, no survey was done. It had been on the market for over 10 years as it looked like it would be a complete can of worms which it has been and to some extent still is but its a lovely old Victorian building in the centre of a lovely village and it needs restoring back to its former glory.