Can you move your master socket legally: yes or no?

dogfish12

Hello, another money saver has posted a thread about the subject of whether it is legal or not to move/remove the master socket. He has stated that bt have confirmed that it is an "urban myth" that you cannot move the socket on a diy level.


Many, including myself, were under the impression that it was illegal to tamper with it (though many do) under threat of possible fines/removal of service. Can we get to the bottom of this issue? Perhaps a bt rep could come on and clarify the situation so accurate advice and warnings can be given to users of this site.

grumpyofwhitecross

If you move your master socket and it has a problem, then you will need to get openreach ( BT ) out to fix it..this may cost you as any competent engineer will see what has happened. The socket and the wiring to it belongs to openreach, it's the demarcation point. Any wiring beyond that belongs to you.

spike7451

Yes it is illigal to move or interfear with the master socket & wiring going back from the socket to the exchange.One of the reasons the NTE/CTE sockets were introduced was to allow DIY'ers to connect extensions without interfearing with the BT wiring.
BT can & have cut people off for doing it.
As for a BT rep coming & answering the question..

boyoboi

Hello

No, it is not illegal. You are able to move your master socket anywhere in the property but it will cost over £100 by BT. BT does advise their customers that they may wish to provide a quote from a local electrician.

If anything does go wrong and it causes a fault, BT will charge you a call out fee and a price per hour/part hour to rectify as the socket is not Openreach's responsibility once this has been installed.

macman

boyoboi wrote: »

Hello

No, it is not illegal. You are able to move your master socket anywhere in the property but it will cost over £100 by BT. BT does advise their customers that they may wish to provide a quote from a local electrician.

If anything does go wrong and it causes a fault, BT will charge you a call out fee and a price per hour/part hour to rectify as the socket is not Openreach's responsibility once this has been installed.

Your advice is incorrect. The NTE5 and the cabling upstream of it is BT responsibility and property. Anything downstream of it is the customer's.

grumpyofwhitecross

boyoboi wrote: »

Hello

No, it is not illegal. You are able to move your master socket anywhere in the property but it will cost over £100 by BT. BT does advise their customers that they may wish to provide a quote from a local electrician.

If anything does go wrong and it causes a fault, BT will charge you a call out fee and a price per hour/part hour to rectify as the socket is not Openreach's responsibility once this has been installed.

The master socket is the property of openreach. Any extensions beyond it belong to yourself. These can be put anywhere, but you cannot move the master socket .