Electricity Meter in neighbours flat !

AndyNorwich

I have just moved into a flat with my girlfriend and EON have told me they will be sending me a free electricty monitor to see what im spending and when. I read the instructions and it needs to go on the live wire going into the electricity meter.

The problem is the electricity meter id in our neighbours flat who i have never seen or spoken to. This seems to me like a complete joke because he can easily get meter readings for his but for ours we would have to knock on and ask if we can get in to check it.

Do you think its fair that our metre is not in our own property ? And what if anything can we do about it

spiro

This has probably occured because the LL or whoever converted the house into flats didn't want to pay the extra money to put the meter in another location.

As you dont have much contact with your neighbour, I would speak to your LL and ask what the arrangements are for you to obtain regular (monthly) meter readings.

Sooler

a.wallace0106 wrote: »

And what if anything can we do about it

Get to know your neighbour

Swipe

Once you have the energy monitor hooked up you won't need much access to the meter.

undaunted

Getting to know your neighbours is one thing being reliant upon their goodwill for access to your electricity meter another. People on this Board are quick enough to argue that you should read your meter when it suits them but you can't do that without access or guarantee that all present & future neighbours will be "reasonable" & let you in to read the meter. I would expect it to be moved to my own property personally but no doubt the supplier wont want to pay for that even though "they" (or predecessors) & not you placed it there.

Schedule 7 of the Electricty Act includes these statements

"3)The meter shall be installed on the customer’s premises in a position determined by the [F1authorised supplier], unless in all the circumstances it is more reasonable to place it outside those premises or in some other position.

(4)The [F1authorised supplier] may require the replacement of any meter provided and installed in accordance with sub-paragraphs (2) and (3) above where its replacement—
(a)is necessary to secure compliance with this Schedule or any regulations made under it; or
(b)is otherwise reasonable in all the circumstances;
and any replacement meter shall be provided and installed in accordance with those sub-paragraphs.

"

You may therefore wish to seek legal advice or argue with your supplier that the meter being placed in your neighbours property is not "more reasonable" & should therefore be moved at their expense

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1989/29/schedule/7

eurmalian

Undaunted, the issue there is that for the meter to be moved from one property to another, the mains cabling would need to be disconnected and moved, which isn't in the suppliers remit. That would have to be done by the local distribution company.

The supplier (or distribution company if you contact them) is also likely to argue that when the meter was installed it was in a reasonable place. If someone is going to split a property into flats (which I agree with spiro appears to be the case here) then it is the responsibility of the person doing the work to make sure that each flat has it's own supply and meter in an easily accessible location.

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc

Hi a.wallace0106

This sounds like quite a major move and would probably come under what we call a 'Service Alteration.'

If this is the case and as eurmalian says, this work would need to be carried out by the local distribution company for your area.

Each distributor has there own set of procedures for handling this type of move. I would have a chat with your distributor to see what's involved.

Details of the distributor are given on the bills. Alternatively, give us a call and we'll be happy to let you know whose yours is. Drop an email to the address in my Profile if you prefer and I'll find out for you.

Malc

undaunted

Doesn't the contract refer to the consumer contracting with the supplier & the supplier acting as an agent for the distributor? In my opinion it is for the supplier to deal with the distributor & any issues not the consumer to deal with them.

I am not convinced that your interprtation necessarily matches the above act & would therefore suggest the poster seeks independant legal advice on this.

spiro

undaunted wrote: »

Doesn't the contract refer to the consumer contracting with the supplier & the supplier acting as an agent for the distributor? In my opinion it is for the supplier to deal with the distributor & any issues not the consumer to deal with them.

I am not convinced that your interprtation necessarily matches the above act & would therefore suggest the poster seeks independant legal advice on this.

In certain circumstances i.e. meter too high for wheelchair user, the supplier will move the meter FOC but only if this does not require the main fuse to be moved. In this instance it appears that whoever converted the house into flats too the cheap route of having both meters in one place rather than pay the £00s/000s to have a new service installed. NO supplier is going to rectify this FOC. Based on your post you could argue that all people who live in blocks of flats were all the meter in one place could have their meters moved into their flats.