Understairs meter and consumer unit.

[petey84]

Hi,

I have a bit of a challenge with my electrics. My consumer unit and meter are currently located under the stairs, right in the middle of my semi-detached house. Unfortunately, there is no easy way to run new cables from here. I’m considering installing solar panels, a battery, and an EV charger, but I need to route cables to the consumer unit. I see three possible options:


Reroute new cables (armoured): This would involve running new cables through the ceilings and walls, but I assume this would be very difficult and costly.





Relocate the service: I could have the DNO (Distribution Network Operator) cut my service cable and relocate the meter externally. Then, I could install a new consumer unit outside and connect it to the existing one under the stairs (which would become a submain) via the old service cable which was feeding the old meter? I’m not sure if this is feasible, but I’d like to know if this is a viable option.





Use the existing SWA cable: When the house was renovated a few years ago, an SWA (Steel-Wire Armoured) cable was run from the consumer unit to my garden, intended for an outbuilding that was never built. This cable is currently unused. Could I repurpose this SWA cable for the new installation?



I’d love to hear thoughts or advice from anyone who has experience with these options.

 

[littlespark]

Whatever you do, it’s going to be costly.

I presume it’s a concrete floor? You can’t go under?

The unused SWA is only going to be feasible if it’s big enough. 6mm for an EV point.

 

[Teddy Lop]

Is the difficulty of running cables an assumption in your part? If so have a spark have a look as he may have ideas you haven't considered.

 

[petey84]

Whatever you do, it’s going to be costly.

I presume it’s a concrete floor? You can’t go under?

The unused SWA is only going to be feasible if it’s big enough. 6mm for an EV point.

Yes concrete floors with underfloor heating so can't go under.

The swa cable to the garden is 16mm but that a difficult route but more favourable than open up the house. Regards to the 16mm cable will this sufficient to support solar batterys supplying the original consumer unit and also the ev charger? potentially can I have a secondary consumer unit off that swa cable?

 

[petey84]

Is the difficulty of running cables an assumption in your part? If so have a spark have a look as he may have ideas you haven't considered.

I have concrete ground floor and stud walls from the ground floor to loft, not sure if you can route swa cables through stud walls.. yes will engage a leccy to get an idea.

 

[DefyG]

Regards to the 16mm cable will this sufficient to support solar batterys supplying the original consumer unit and also the ev charger?

16mm certainly sounds like it will be more than adequate unless you are planning an enormous solar array, and your cheapest option but you may need to build that outbuilding or something to mount the inverter, battery, evcp and consumer unit on although all can be mounted externally, just need a solid wall! and hope you can park near enough to use the evcp.

 

[littlespark]

I’d get your electrician involved now. There’s more to EV, PV and battery than just running a power cable.

There may be load monitoring devices that clip over the main incoming tails, and need a data cable run to wherever the charge point or inverter is situated.

This could be done over Wi-Fi, possibly.

 

[petey84]

I’d get your electrician involved now. There’s more to EV, PV and battery than just running a power cable.

There may be load monitoring devices that clip over the main incoming tails, and need a data cable run to wherever the charge point or inverter is situated.

This could be done over Wi-Fi, possibly.

16mm certainly sounds like it will be more than adequate unless you are planning an enormous solar array, and your cheapest option but you may need to build that outbuilding or something to mount the inverter, battery, evcp and consumer unit on although all can be mounted externally, just need a solid wall! and hope you can park near enough to use the evcp.

Thanks I do have a shed which maybe I can put all things solar inside like inverter, batteries etc.

 

[petey84]

I’d get your electrician involved now. There’s more to EV, PV and battery than just running a power cable.

There may be load monitoring devices that clip over the main incoming tails, and need a data cable run to wherever the charge point or inverter is situated.

This could be done over Wi-Fi, possibly.

I do have data cabling close to the consumer unit to the outside, so that shouldn't be a issue. Thanks.

 

[petey84]

I’d get your electrician involved now. There’s more to EV, PV and battery than just running a power cable.

There may be load monitoring devices that clip over the main incoming tails, and need a data cable run to wherever the charge point or inverter is situated.

This could be done over Wi-Fi, possibly.

Will start engaging with some ev installers, thanks.