Meter move. Will Scottish Hydro provide a new meter board?

[ProDave]

Today I moved a CU further up the wall in readiness for the meter and cut out being moved on Wednesday (actually I fitted a new CU as the old one was too old)

So now the new CU is on the wall in the new location ready for the Hydro coming on Wednesday first thing.

The cut out and meter is on a large plywood board at the moment that will be removed as soon as the meter and cut out are removed from it.

Question is, will the Hydro expect a new board to be already screwed to the wall for them to fix the cut out and meter to, or will they provide one and screw it to the wall?

The customer who organised the meter move didn't think to ask technicalities like this.

 

[Andy™]

the price should include all materials required to move the meter, unless otherwise stated?

 

[sparkytim]

If they are fitting new cut-out in new position then normally DNO supply and fit Meter boards.

 

[ProDave]

As far as I know, they will be moving the old cut out.

I hope if they do, they improve the earth clamp. It's a SWA incomer, that looks to have been converted to PME (certainly has a PME label on it). But at present the earth clamp is just an EC14 over the SWA. If it looks like they are not going to attend to this, I will question them about it's adequacy.

When the DNO came to give the customer a price, they looked under the floor and saw there's a coil of spare wire on the incomer, so it looks like they are just going to move it up the wall as far as it will reach, so I doubt they will even be re jointing it, just unscrewing it and moving it.

They told the customer if that's not high enough up the wall, then they will have to dig up his garden and possibly the road to feed a new incomer into the house, as they won't joint it under the floorboards if the existing cable won't reach. If that proves to be what's needed then I'm sure it will cost a LOT more.

I'll try and remember my camera on Wednesday.

 

[Larnacaman]

Dave,

If the incomer is SWA cable, and the HED is PME, then they are only using the EC14 to earth the armouring of the cable.

Is the lead off the clamp going to E section of the N-E split on the HED, or the MET?? Strange though, the DNO's don't normally use your normal SWA cable, typically it's that terrible concentric cable!!!

 

[ProDave]

Dave,If the incomer is SWA cable, and the HED is PME, then they are only using the EC14 to earth the armouring of the cable.

Is the lead off the clamp going to E section of the N-E split on the HED, or the MET?? Strange though, the DNO's don't normally use your normal SWA cable, typically it's that terrible concentric cable!!!

Well obviously I haven't opened the hed to look at the cable make up, but the outside looks like SWA and looks to be galvanised, so I don't think it's concentric.

The EC14 has an earth wire going into the N-E of the hed, then another earth wire out from there to the CU. There are actually two EC14's on the SWA, but only one is in use.

My thought was originally it was some other earth, perhaps even TT, and the DNO "upgraded" it to PME by adding this earth clamp to the SWA, and presumably the SWA is earthed at the substation. But there's no sign of a TT earth anywhere, just the PME earth and water and gas bonding in place.

If they do open up the hed to re terminate it, I'll try and get a peek inside.

It's a 1960's house, which I think pre dates common use of concentric incomers.

 

[Larnacaman]

DON'T forget your Camera on Wednesday then!! It'll be interesting to know what they have done in this case!!!

 

[ProDave]

Just back from this job.

Hydro turned up at 9:10PM Sat in van until 9:20PM came in and disconnected meter and cut out.

THEN they asked where the mounting board is. So I had to quickly cut one from a bit of MDF and screw it to the wall while I kept them waiting, so the answer is they do NOT supply a back board to fix the meter to.

Two guys from the Hydro were on site for less than an hour (even counting the time they sat in their van) and it cost the customer over

 

[a1]

Pictures later when I upload them from the camera.

Come on Dave, don't keep us in suspenders, upload them now.

 

[ProDave]

Come on Dave, don't keep us in suspenders, upload them now.

Sory, I'm about to do an oil change, had to get the pit in the garage ready.

Here they are, not a lot to see really. My memory was wrong, the earth cable from the earth clamp goes into the bottom of the cut out, but it all joins into the one big N-E terminal

As you can see, they didn't touch the clamps at all, just moved it exactly as it was.

first picture, cut out where it was prior to being moved. Second picture, cut out, meter and new CU further up the wall.

 

[a1]

Thanks Dave.

 

[Sidewinder]

That's at odds with WPD then Dave, I have a Crown job on them at the moment to replace a meter board!

Their requirement not mine.