Location of consumer unit

[matthewparker89]

Hi Guys,

An old re-wireable wylex board is located in the meter cupboard in the garage. I have been asked to update the unit. Can I install new consumer unit in the same location where the old one is? The electricty board have told the customer that it is illegal and dangerous..., I beg to differ. Thoughts please.

 

[Technician]

Points to consider;

1) Distance from supply head.

2) Sizing of tails (DNO decision).

3) A new board is notifiable work.

4) The DNO owns the board where

you will mount the new unit.

 

[kme]

The CU shouldn`t be in the meter cupboard without the express, written permission of the DNO (which they don`t tend to do).

Other than that, see Technicians points above.

KME

 

[Technician]

Just to give you a heads up on what KME said;

I put a kitchen into a cellar about 2/3 years ago

and the supply head and meter arrangements

were an eyesore. All I could do was make a

backless cupboard with plenty of ventilation in the

top and with hardboard panels to ventilate the

interior. That was all I could do to keep the DNO

happy and conceal the apparatus.

Cupboard looks nice, though, and she was happy.

 

[Evans Electric]

Hi Guys,An old re-wireable wylex board is located in the meter cupboard in the garage. I have been asked to update the unit. Can I install new consumer unit in the same location where the old one is? The electricty board have told the customer that it is illegal and dangerous..., I beg to differ. Thoughts please.

The phrase " illegal and dangerous " is interesting to say the least, sounds a bit OTT to me . If it so "dangerous" why didn't they take some sort of action to make it "safe" .

But as my esteemed Forumites have mentioned above, if you mean the designated meter cupboard as in fibreglass thing on outside of garage then usually all you can only fit a switchfuse or isolator in the top r/h .

There are many boards fitted within meter c/bds but that doesn't make it right TBH, can you just fit the new one next to the cupboard?

And why are they involved ? And what law is the fuseboard contraveaning ? And why do they consider it to be dangerous?

I see your location is Brum so we're talking about E-on or Central Networks I guess, Matthew.?

 

[Doc Hudson]

Technicians point 4 is not strictly correct, the DNO do not own the board that the meter and cut out fuse are mounted onto.They generally do not supply it, nor do they replace it if its is damaged. If the cut out and meter are mounted in an external cupboard then they will require sufficient space to mount service and maintain their equipment and or any subsequent replacement units at a later date. This is why they specify a minimum sized cupboard for the 'homeowner to supply and fit'. If there is insufficient room due to other equipment being mounted in the box then I suspect they would just walk away and not do the work. You would not be prosecuted for an illegally installed fuse box. Just left with either no supply or no upgraded supply equipment.

Doc H.

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

Could you elaborate as to what the 'meter cupboard' is. It could be a large walk in cupboard or the standard fibreglass box, Why would that be in a garage, Has the garage been built onto the side of the house and the meter & fusebox are now too low in case of flammable gases & fumes ?

 

[steptoe]

where is the gas meter in relation to the consumer unit?

this is generally the one thing I find in contravention of being able to change CU's

 

[Steve3948]

Technicians point 4 is not strictly correct, the DNO do not own the board that the meter and cut out fuse are mounted onto.They generally do not supply it, nor do they replace it if its is damaged. If the cut out and meter are mounted in an external cupboard then they will require sufficient space to mount service and maintain their equipment and or any subsequent replacement units at a later date. This is why they specify a minimum sized cupboard for the 'homeowner to supply and fit'. If there is insufficient room due to other equipment being mounted in the box then I suspect they would just walk away and not do the work. You would not be prosecuted for an illegally installed fuse box. Just left with either no supply or no upgraded supply equipment.Doc H.

Doc, Western Power do supply it along with ducting and hockey stick, it's included in the installation price for the supply.

However the builder or whoever is required to pick it up from their yard.

As the client pays for the supply and the meter box, you would assume the client owns it, and in the terms and conditions it mentions only equipment supplied and fitted by DNO should be installed in said box.

 

[Sharpend]

If its already in the garage are the cables surface mounted in trunking?? Could you not move the consumer unit without too much aggravation to your self?

I think a little more detail as to what you describe as meter cupboard is required??

 

[Technician]

Doc; thanks for the correction. In the case I outlined,

the DNO stated that the board was "mounted by them"

however that was a long time ago. From this I construed

that they "owned" it.

Further, having worked for a major energy provider the

advice given to customers was that the board and its

mounted equipment was NOT their property.