Smart Meters And Pulling The Fuse

[chris_k]

Im sure we`ve all read about the new smart meters being able to notify the supplier if the fuse  has been pulled / loss of supply?

Has anyone (or do you know of anyone who has??!!) pulled the main fuse on one of these and encountered any problems later?

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

Im sure we`ve all read about the new smart meters being able to notify the supplier if the fuse  has been pulled / loss of supply?

Has anyone (or do you know of anyone who has??!!) pulled the main fuse on one of these and encountered any problems later?

Hmmmmm.....

Suppliers cutout...   (bit where the supplier fuse sits)

Meter...  (smart or dumb)... piece of equipment to measure the amount to electricity consumed..

Meter / Cut-Out

Cut-Out / Meter...

Have you spotted yet...

TWO DIFFERENT ITEMS OF EQUIPMENT...

Smart meter....  

is not a SMART CUT OUT...

 now why might you be asking such a question?????

:innocent

 

[Barx]

my 2 cents from what I know. The meter is likely to have a tamper switch on the front cover (mine has). If you pull the bullet I doubt the meter will report there and then as it will be dead. But the metering company will be able to tell that it is dead (if they check / monitor it), no ping back. I asked the guy who fitted mine how best way to go about it it I come across one at work. He said just make sure you pull bullet first. If anyone says owt, just tell them you had a localized power cut, simples.

 

[betty swollocks]

Made me chuckle at the image of a crack team of supply officials all sitting round in an office waiting for a buzzer to sound as a covers removed somewhere...... Then flying out of the yard Bodie & Doyle style. In the real world you can book an appointment weeks ahead and still nobody comes out on time! Either way my money is on the seal fairy to be quicker to site

 

[ProDave]

But WHY should we worry?

IF they ever ask, my reply would be simple:

Show me an alternative means of safe isolation? (and by the way it wasn't sealed :innocent )

Since they omitted to include an isolator switch in the specifications for smart meters........

 

[Blue Duck]

I had to switch off ( not pull fuse )where a BG smart meter had been fitted and the thing started making a racket like a fax machine until power was restored.

I doubt anyone will turn up ? If they did I imagine it would weeks too late!

 

[chris_k]

Well, i asked the question as i had to replace a dangerously damaged consumer unit today.

One thing that did puzzle me there were no seals on the cut-out. Hey Ho. The meter was a Landis & Gyr with separate communicator.

I was expecting a noise as Blue Duck mentioned when i de-energised, but nothing, not even a wimper! There were some police sirens about 25mins later which got me on edge. I put that down to working on one of the rougher parts of Nottingham.

What am i supposed to do when the cu has no front, broken sides and broken fuse carriers?

 

[Evans Electric]

I've done a couple of them and encountered no problems .....................whos that at the door ..."Whats that  Mrs Deke ...the Electric Police ..for ME ??

Probably simpler to fit a switch ........Oh you can't .'cos its still live ...   :innocent

But you must practice safe isolation under 'elf n Safety  so just go for it .  

 

[apprentice87]

Hi there, never mind smart meters, there are plenty out there that have an internal memory powered by a lithium battery that "remember" events. So, if the seal fairy calls, who cares, but turn it off for a month, and it they think you are up to anything, presumably they only have to ask the meter......

Oh and "reverse current detection" too, so ham fisted attempts to bypass it will make a little light come on that you will NOT be able to extinguish. Mr Meter reader will then report this and they will be out like a shot!!!

Have a look at what make meter you got, go to somewhere that sells them, [cannot remember the name] and see what features your one got!!

john...

 

[pewter]

I spoke to another spark who has been working on a big housing development.

There firm is having problems getting sections signed off and payed for as the meter people are having big problems with the smart meters.

Apparently lots of the smart meters have not been working and have had to be changed for regular meters. Then the number of the non smart meter doesnt tally up with some rubbish paperwork meaning everyones money is getting held up......... which is pretty smart.

 

[Steve3948]

My thoughts, just pull it, life is too short to worry about things like this.

Who cares if who knows what, they will never bother you in this day and age, reason it will cost them money and they may not win.

 

[betty swollocks]

I'm working on a new build which had a new supply installed with a new smart meter, customer has been living there for two months and even after numerous complaints the meter is and always has been showing the reading 00000000E. Should make reading it much easier ! I should really get back and double check those tails :-/

 

[kme]

Apparently, the "smart" meters ARE capable of notifying a " loss of power" event - so they can, technically report back that no 52 has no power, but nos 50 and 54 do have power.......

I don`t really care for 2 reasons.

1. If I have to work on it, I will do say the most H&S conscious way I can.

2. Smart meters have intrinsic issues, insofar as they may well be an invasion of privacy - that will be the reason I state for not having one on my premises - and it appears to be a valid defence

We`ve all got to do our jobs - the question boils down (as usual) to the relevant competence levels ( or lack thereof), and the individual`s risk assessment of the circumstances.

 

[steptoe]

can someone tell me the actual crime for cutting a seal?

apart from the obvious of destroying someone else's property. which for an actual seal I dont believe would ever stand up,,,,,,,

A:-

who can ever prove it was me actually cut it............?

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

So what happens to a property with a smart meter when they are selling the house and they move out a few weeks before the new bods move in....

All the power is turned off ...

smart meter shows NO consumption for 100's of hours....?????

What happens when a property with a smart meter has a fault only associated with that property??

Our supply cable under the drive had to be repaired a few years back..

AND we have had smart meters for ages now!

I've said it before but I'll say it again...

I would be more concerned by the amount of data being stored by my mobile phone comapny..

and Internet provider...

and Supermarket loyalty card

Than the smart meter in our house!!!!!

:coat

 

[ProDave]

can someone tell me the actual crime for cutting a seal?

apart from the obvious of destroying someone else's property. which for an actual seal I dont believe would ever stand up,,,,,,,

A:-

who can ever prove it was me actually cut it............?

I don't know. I have never cut one. :innocent Amelie has always visited first.

BUT I have never heard of an electrician being prosecuted for cutting a seal to enable safe isolation.

I simply take the view if there is no other means of safe isolation, then it must be done. If someone decided to take me to court for some offence, I would counter claim under one of the electrical safety regs for them failing to provide a means of safe isolation. 

 

[Evans Electric]

Thats how I see it PD ...  they passed over the best opportunity ever, since the country was first electrified , of providing a downstream isolator within the meter but chose to ignore the Contracting industry's requests .  ( Well thats nothing new is it ?) 

As we know , after 2 years of discussions, they would'nt allow registered sparks to legally remove the main fuse , it could have been done with a phone call or sending an  NIC/ELECSA/ECA/NAPPITT type form in  to state that you had removed/replaced the fuse and re-sealed.    

Now it appears that they are a load of pants .this may not be correct but I was under the impression they would "speak" to the gas meter and transmit both lots of  data via the cellphone network ,  but they can't do that . 

Has anyone actually tried to do a board change  "in the proper manner "   recently ?    Which is  ..contact customer's power supplier & book a time slot for isolating & re-energise while you change a board. 

I'm betting  there is no one on here who does that .  ( except Stepps of course who always does everything to the book and never , ever strays from the straight & narrow  :innocent )   

And a squadron of porcine aviators have just made a low level sortie over my roof.   :coat

 

[betty swollocks]

We'll it used to be a free service, I even knew and had the number of a local guy but last time I enquired I was told there was a charge now?!

 

[ProDave]

Just do it.

Then phone to report you discovered a non sealed cut out.

 

[batty]

UK power networks refuse to fit isolators. So you have to wait for them to turn up to isolate supply which could be any time and then do your board change. Could be a problem waiting for them to reconnect would probably be next day. Customer probably wouldn't like you a lot. SSE are better because a lot of there meters have isolators makes life a lot easier.