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Housing - Renovation: Moving gas and electric and consumer unit/fuses

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  1.  
    • CommentAuthorShevek
    • CommentTimeJan 28th 2012
     
    Our gas meter, electrical meter and fuses are located in the ground floor cupboard under our stair. We'd like to move them for a couple of reasons. One being we'd like to have them in a location where they can be more readily monitored (although having the gas meter inside seems a bit dodgy). Another reason is that we may need the whole cupboard space to fit a heat accumulator.

    Is it a major job? I guess the fuses/consumer unit would be the most expensive? Although we probably need to rewire the place anyway.
    •  
      CommentAuthorjoe90
    • CommentTimeJan 28th 2012
     
    Main problem with moving the gas meter is whether you can turn off the gas on the inlet pipe before its new location. On a job of mine the customer wanted a new external gas box and I called my mate who is gas safe registered, luckily on the pipe just before it entered the property was a gas turn off valve (very similar to the ones on gas fires where the chrome pipe goes to the fire) so he was able to re-route the pipes and meter. If you dont have somewhere to turn off the gas I cant see how its done.

    Regarding the electric meter I believe it is the lecky suppliers responsibility to shift it and charge.
    • CommentAuthortony
    • CommentTimeJan 28th 2012
     
    It could be VERY expensive to get it done by the supply company.
    •  
      CommentAuthorDamonHD
    • CommentTimeJan 28th 2012
     
    I had a friend recently charged (a heavily-discounted) £1000 to move his gas supply in his house, IIRC. Treated as a new installation or similar since they had to run a new pipe in from the main in the end I think.

    Rgds

    Damon
    •  
      CommentAuthorjoe90
    • CommentTimeJan 28th 2012
     
    shevek,

    Regarding the Gas meter, get a gas safe contractor to give you a quote. Regarding the electric meter, start saving hard:cry:
    •  
      CommentAuthornigel
    • CommentTimeJan 28th 2012
     
    you will have to get the transco to move the gas meter ---
    and the electrical distribution company to move the electric supply
    and then your electricity supplier to move the meter
    and moving the fuse board is not going to be straightforward.

    Its going to cost you big time to do this and I mean well into 4 figures to do this - and probably 4 figures for each one..
    • CommentAuthorCWatters
    • CommentTimeJan 29th 2012
     
    If you are moving the consumer unit do that at same time as you rewire the house.
    •  
      CommentAuthorSteamyTea
    • CommentTimeJan 29th 2012
     
    Got a feeling that consumer units have to be 'accessible'. So you can't just put them where you like. Something to do with little old ladies standing on chairs in the dark. So CWatters suggestion is probably the best solution.
    • CommentAuthorJoiner
    • CommentTimeJan 29th 2012
     
    The quote we had to move the electric was "about a grand", and that was to the leccy company to wire into the relocated box, on top of that we'd have had to pay an electrician to relocate the box to the new place and re-make all the circuit connections.
    •  
      CommentAuthorjoe90
    • CommentTimeJan 29th 2012 edited
     
    Posted By: nigelyou will have to get the transco to move the gas meter ---
    and the electrical distribution company to move the electric supply
    and then your electricity supplier to move the meter
    and moving the fuse board is not going to be straightforward.

    Its going to cost you big time to do this and I mean well into 4 figures to do this - and probably 4 figures for each one..


    Sorry Nigel but this is not the case, see my post above regarding the gas meter, I also cleared this with the gas board before we went ahead. I did the building work (holes in wall and built in the external gas box) and I was charged £250 for the actual gas pipe work.

    I think you are right regarding moving the electric meter but if re-wiring anyway then consumer side of the the meter is not an issue.
    •  
      CommentAuthornigel
    • CommentTimeJan 29th 2012
     
    Thanks Joe for the information I dont know the circumstances of your move however meter moves are the responsibility of Transco - now called National Grid.

    See http://www.nationalgrid.com/uk/Gas/Connections/GasServices/MoveMeter/AlterationChargesDomesticNSCProperty.htm
  12.  
    I have heard rumours that employees of these various organisations that move gas/electric meters
    have been know to do the odd job on the quiet.
    But obviously, I wouldn't know anything about that. :wink:
    • CommentAuthorTriassic
    • CommentTimeJan 29th 2012
     
    I live off the power grid and was wondering if I have to pay to get connected? The nearest power supply is 5 m away.
  14.  
    triassic, I think you'd be looking at somewhere near a Kings ransom
    • CommentAuthordocmartin
    • CommentTimeJan 29th 2012 edited
     
    I agree with James; I definitely know of one case where the small builder doing an extension arranged for 'contractors' to move the Gas and Electric meters without going through National Grid etc. Quite cheaply!
    •  
      CommentAuthorJSHarris
    • CommentTimeJan 29th 2012
     
    <blockquote><cite>Posted By: Triassic</cite>I live off the power grid and was wondering if I have to pay to get connected? The nearest power supply is 5 m away.</blockquote>
    Is that 5 metres or 5 miles? If the former then it'd only cost around the figure I've been quoted for mine, less than £400. If the latter then I suspect you're looking at tens of thousands...........
    •  
      CommentAuthorjoe90
    • CommentTimeJan 29th 2012 edited
     
    Nigel.
    I contacted my Gas guy who did this job and he refered me to the ofgem website:
    -
    "Moving gas meters
    You should initially contact your energy supplier or the gas transporter for your area in order to arrange for your gas meter to be moved. The gas transporter will normally carry out the meter move rather than the supplier, which means you can approach the transporter direct as an alternative to contacting your supplier. However, in certain circumstances a Gas Safe Registered installer may be able to carry out a meter move -

    it would be necessary for the OAMI or Gas Safe Registered installer to first contact the MAM, seek agreement for the works to be undertaken, convince the MAM that the work will be properly designed and installed, safe and that the overall long term integrity of their meter installation is not compromised, and finally agree contract terms."

    This is from ofgems website and the MAM is the Meter assett Manager, this is who my man contacted to agree the move he did for me/mycustomer.
    • CommentAuthorqeipl
    • CommentTimeJan 29th 2012
     
    Shevek,

    Moving your electricity meter/consumer unit might be affordable if the distance isn't too far.

    AIUI the DNO (grid company) is responsible for the big fat cable coming into the house and the termination which includes the main fuse. If you can leave this where it is and move only the meter/consumer unit then you only have to deal with the electricity supplier (who owns the meter) and your own sparky (who can move the consumer unit).

    There is probably a maximum permitted length for the cables from the main fuse to the meter.
    Likewise there is probably a maximum length for the meter tails (meter to consumer unit).
    If you can find out what these lengths are you can then work out how far you can move from the present position.

    Malcolm
    •  
      CommentAuthorjoe90
    • CommentTimeJan 30th 2012
     
    "The length of Tails from the Meter to the Consumers Distribution Board or Consumer Unit is at the discretion the Local Electricity Company.

    Generally the maximum length of tails allowed is 3 metres.

    For longer distances it is common practice to install a Double Pole Isolation Switch at the Meter Position and install tails or a Sub-Main to the Consumers Distribution Board."

    Care should be taken to install adequate mechanical protection to the Tails or Sub-Main cable.

    SWA is preferable if the cable is not to be clipped direct to surface.

    Minimum size of Meter Tails is 25 sq mm

    I found this info on another forum and it broadly conforms to other answers given by electricians. I think the main point is to confirm anything done with the local electricity supplier before commencing work.
    • CommentAuthorborpin
    • CommentTimeJan 30th 2012
     
    Posted By: joe90For longer distances it is common practice to install a Double Pole Isolation Switch at the Meter Position and install tails or a Sub-Main to the Consumers Distribution Board."
    Had this in my old house. That cable *from* the switch was much bigger than that coming in *to* the meter!
    • CommentAuthorTonyt
    • CommentTimeFeb 1st 2012
     
    The cables supplying the meter dont need to comply with the wiring regulation, the ones coming out of the meter do.
    Tony
    • CommentAuthorborpin
    • CommentTimeFeb 2nd 2012
     
    Yes I know but it always struck me as absurd.
  23.  
    yep , that's regulation for ya.:cry:
  24.  
    I have recently moved my electric meter and fuse board as I am doing a full rewire amongst other things as part of the renovations on the house, and it cost me something like £350 from Southern electric. I had to get conduit in place and ensure holes in walls etc were ready for them and have a Part P registered Electrician to connect up once they had done their stuff. But it wasn't nearly as bad as I was thinking it might be. Still £350 is bad enough!
    • CommentAuthorHollyBush
    • CommentTimeFeb 2nd 2012
     
    Does anyone know when (if?) smart meters appear, will they mean no one will come around to read the meter, so having it outside with all the headaches that go with that (thinner insulation, how to hang on EWI, access for meter reader etc) becomes unnecessary?
    • CommentAuthortony
    • CommentTimeFeb 3rd 2012 edited
     
    I already have one for my electric car charging meter, it has a mobile phone radio Ariel on it and the bill comes with a usage graphs.
    •  
      CommentAuthordjh
    • CommentTimeFeb 3rd 2012
     
    Posted By: tonyit has a mobile phone radio Ariel on it

    When I read that, the first thought that immediately ran through my mind was, "You have to turn mobiles off when you fill a car". Doh :cry:

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