DNO/energy supplier

[Breville]

Urgently help needed. 
I have a a few properties and have recently had a tenant from hell, who I just managed to remove. This tenant was tampering with the electric meter and were  bypassing for their electric. National grid came out and removed the fuse of the meter and then completed a ‘cut out charge’ or ‘cut out upgrade’ (not  too sure) so that my energy supplier can  put the fuse back in. National Grid have insisted to me that it is my energy supplier that need to decide whether they want to put It back in or not. 
On consulting Npower, they have told me that they don’t know size fuse to put into the cut out And if the DNO removed it then they need to go back and put it back  in. I am fed up of going back and forth and be wondered if anyone can tell me whose responsibility this is.
Please please help. I need to sort my property out for my next tenant.

 

[Doc Hudson]

If this tenant has been tampering with the electricity then its possible it could need some remedial work to make it safe to re-energise. Also BS7671 recommends electrical installations in rented dwellings are inspected and tested every five years or change of occupancy. So I would have thought the logical step required is to arrange for a competent electrician to visit and test & inspect the whole installation, then once it has been verified that the installation is satisfactory for ongoing use, appropriate arrangements to re-energise can be carried out.

Everything from the electrical meter onward are the homeowners/landlords responsibility not the supply company or the DNO. If the tails have been cut and bodged to by-pass the meter, Or if the integrity of the meter has been damaged then I can understand the supply being removed to make it safe until  remedial work has been done. I am surprised as you say you have several properties, that you don't already have contact with an electrician who has done previous inspection & testing at these properties to verify the installations were safe before any tenants actually moved in?

Doc H.      

 

[kerching]

opcorn

️

 

[Breville]

The property was completely safe until this tenant moved in. I was confused as National Grid have insisted that my energy supplier will sort it. Yet, my energy supplier said this is not the case as my DNO should sort it. 

So, I should be hiring my own 3rd party electrician to put the fuse back in? 

 

[Murdoch]

So, I should be hiring my own 3rd party electrician to put the fuse back in? 

Absolutely not.

main fuse = dno

meter = supplier (company you pay lecky for)

outgoing meter tails to installation = competent spark

your problem probably arises from the dabbling the previous tenant did so the dno May insist that you have an EICR done (obviously dead tests only)

i would say start with the dno .... it’s their fuse imho

 

[Andy™]

id say DNO. its their fuse. think the meter monkeys / supplies can only remove the fuse to carry out their work then put it back in, not fit one that wasnt there

 

[ProDave]

The "problem" here I suspect is Npower.

We have this crazy electricity distribution system with a supplier and an energy provider, with split responsibilities.  In the course of our work we sometimes have to seal with the suppliers or DNO's.  Most times this works okay.  If you have a problem with the network, it seems that you have to report the issue to the energy supplier, and if necessary they will pass it to the DNO.

The one time this did not work, was when I tried to report what I believed to be a dangerous condition. When I had done that before the DNO were there within a couple of hours.  On this occasion the DNO said I had to report the matter through the energy supplier.  That was N Power in this case. I got nowhere with them.  All I got was a parrot on the end of the line who just repeated again and again "put your problem in writing to us"  So that is what I did. I don't know if it ever got resolved as I never went back. But I formed the opinion that N Power were incompetent or for some other reason did not want to talk to the DNO.

 

[Breville]

Thank you for the replies, I really appreciate the time taken to respond. I won’t have to go back and forth and am finding a quicker way forward with this. 

Massively thankful for the help!

 

[Evans Electric]

I won’t have to go back and forth and am finding a quicker way forward with this. 

The constant responsibility problems between  metering & supply  & Contractor  & customer  gets ridiculous . 

This guy will probably sort this his own way ,   he,s that pee'd off ,  could be fatal , who knows .

DNO removed the fuse ...they should say have the wiring checked for safety , cert issued ,  fuse back in . 

 

[Breville]

And can anyone tell me what nations grid meant by completing a ‘cut out upgrade’?

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

It would be interesting to know how old the installation is and if the CU is compliant with current Regulations….???  :C

Could be just the "DNO -vs- Npower"  trying to cover their arses, by not reconnecting a supply to an installation they suspect could be a bit dubious?   :mellow:

9 Feb was my 21st anniversary of going self employed....

And over that time I have acquired numerous regular customers including some who are Landlords....

If ever any strange / obscure / non-standard anomalies arise; then the first thing they do is contact me to see if I could pop round to work out what needs to be done to resume normal service..

I would have though any half-decent landlord would have contacts with Electricians, Plumbers, Heating Technicians, etc.. to keep tenants happy as quick as possible..?

Guinness

 

[Andy™]

The "problem" here I suspect is Npower.

We have this crazy electricity distribution system with a supplier and an energy provider, with split responsibilities.  In the course of our work we sometimes have to seal with the suppliers or DNO's.  Most times this works okay.  If you have a problem with the network, it seems that you have to report the issue to the energy supplier, and if necessary they will pass it to the DNO.

The one time this did not work, was when I tried to report what I believed to be a dangerous condition. When I had done that before the DNO were there within a couple of hours.  On this occasion the DNO said I had to report the matter through the energy supplier.  That was N Power in this case. I got nowhere with them.  All I got was a parrot on the end of the line who just repeated again and again "put your problem in writing to us"  So that is what I did. I don't know if it ever got resolved as I never went back. But I formed the opinion that N Power were incompetent or for some other reason did not want to talk to the DNO.

probably similar to why most phone providers are reluctant to get openreach out to faults. if there's no issue, they have to pay

 

[roys]

And can anyone tell me what nations grid meant by completing a ‘cut out upgrade’?

Where the cable comes into the house / flat it terminates into a "cut out" this is where the suppliers fuse is (usually either a 60, 80 or 100A fuse), the Neutral connection / link and the earth is split out.

So basically the block at the end of the suppliers cable before the connections go to the meter. 

 

[Breville]

Update: My supplier came and made an emergency appointment because I was off supply. They fitted the fuse in too.