Moving Electric Meter - Will Provider Do This??

jojo_pezza

Hi everyone

This is my first post on here but I'm always reading through the different posts for help on various issues. I'm hoping someone can shine some light on my newest dilemma.

I bought a house at the beginning of this year and the electric meter is in the dining room. There's nothing covering it up and it's really huge! It's a 1950s house and I think the electric meter is one of the first kinds going by the looks of it! Anyway, the plaster all around it is really awful like someone's just tipped the bucket up everywhere. Also, there are gaps in places around it leading to what I assume is the wall cavity or something (always full of cobwebs and other creepy crawlies!).

I really would like to get it moved but I've had a few quotes from electricians who quote between £300-£600, which I can't afford. I was speaking to a friend about it the other day who thinks that her parents got theirs moved for free by their electricity supplier, but she couldn't remember the details.

Does anyone know if this is possible? I was going to ring Npower up but I don't want to make an idiot of myself if this has never been done before!! Then again, perhaps it's a common thing that I just don't know about? Maybe there are certain circumstances where they'll move it for free?

If anyone has any knowledge or experience on this, I'd be very grateful to hear it!

Thanks a lot.

KimYeovil

Unlikely. No harm in asking but unless it is faulty or dangerous there is absolutely no reason for them to pay for it (or, rather, for their other customers to pay for it). Even if it is scheduled for a replacement this will just be where it is currently sited. If it is in the wrong position for how you (or previous owners) want to lay-out the kitchen then you have to pay for the makeover.

As to holes and rough plaster - pound shops sell sandpaper and polyfilla.

Cardew

Welcome to the forum.

I am pretty certain the electricity company(NPower in your case) will not move the meter, are you sure your friend wasn't thinking about changing the meter?

There have been several similar questions on MSE about moving gas/electricity meters when an extension is being built and as far as I am aware they have had to pay.

jojo_pezza

Thanks for the replies. Well she thought it was something to do with it being an old box and the energy providers now preferring you have the box outside anyway so they can read it when you're not in.
Sorry, her memory's not great! Our neighbour also told us that he got his moved FOC because he told them that he "thought" it was dangerous (no actual proof of this) but he tends to lie about a lot of things so I don't want to take his word for it!

chanz4

doubt npower would move it free as it costs hundreds, depends on your area but its your local distribution normaly. 300 is cheap to move it. If you are elderley and on pension and can prove it they may do it for free. If dangerous they would just cut it off and tell you to rectify anything after the meter, if before the meter they would just correct it not move it

jojo_pezza

Okay, I finally got to the bottom of why our neighbour got his box moved.

His used to be in the same place as ours, ie, very low down to the floor.

The incomer is at ground level (which I don't know much about) and therefore is deemed unsafe to animal, children and even adults. For example, cleaning the floor, children sticking fingers where they shouldn't or even having a flood or water ingress, would only need to rise up about an inch and would be over the box.

He rang up E-On, who he's with, and they sent an engineer out to take a look, who agreed with him straight away.

I'm going to give it a go, especially as it's near our pantry, which has a little window in that floods every year apparantly.

Maybe this will help others in the same situation!