Unsafe Elec and Gas Meter Location

sampa99978

Am with EON, someone came out to read the meters a few weeks ago and he pointed out that they're currently located quite unsafely - under the sink in the downstairs bathroom. I know - pretty obvious when you think about it, but they were there when I moved in a few years ago and it never occurred to me.

He arranged a callout from Western Power within half an hr to look at it. They turned up but didn't seem that interested to be honest. They said it wasn't ideal, but not to worry, although they would mention it to their manager. I've heard nothing from them since.

I've now had an email from EON saying that they want to install a smart meter. I'm worried that I'm going to be forced to pay for a meter location change, and that it's going to be very expensive. Does anyone have any advice, or knowledge about how much it would cost? The meters are located adjacent to an external wall and the fuse box is on the other side of the internal wall in the understairs cupboard.

Again, common sense tells me meters shouldn't be under sinks, but I don't want to have to pay for something I didn't cause in the first place!

CashStrapped

They "want" to install a smart meter.

You have the option of saying no. There is no policy that allows a company to force you to accept one at the moment.

If they did swap it, it would normally be a straight swap. I do not see how they could get away with a forced relocation and passing the cost on to you.

Regardless....just say no.

I was in a a modern property yesterday where the consumer unit for the electric (fuse box) was under the sink!

Bad design, but the two things (where the current meter is and the request to install a smart meter) will be two independant requests in my view.

matelodave

Although there's no actual law to force you to have a meter, whats to stop the energy company making it a condition of supply or charging you extra for having a dumb meter if it costs them more to send a meter reader round to read it.

You need a meter so what difference does it make whether its smart or dumb.

footyguy

matelodave wrote: »

Although there's no actual law to force you to have a meter, whats to stop the energy company making it a condition of supply or charging you extra for having a dumb meter if it costs them more to send a meter reader round to read it.

You need a meter so what difference does it make whether its smart or dumb.

It presumably costs more in rental costs for the supplier for a smart meter than a dumb meter.

Most small suppliers (and increasingly the big 6) no longer send meter readers regularly, and the best tariffs usually require the customer to submit their own regular readings.

I know both suppliers I'm with expect the customer to supply the readings ... or they will charge extra if they are forced to send a meter reader due to no customer reading provided.

Meters are only required to be read by a meter reader once every 2 years. For electricity this can easily be ignored, but for gas the supplier should send a meter reader ... even if you have a smart meter.

macman

The sink probably got there before the meter, since the meter asset company or their contractor would have installed it there originally. It's not inherently dangerous, and it's very common to find sockets and FCU's right under a sink.
They probably wouldn't meet current regs, but then most older installs would not. There is no requirement to update retrospectively, and if they did it would be at their expense.
Sounds to me like your meter reader was overreacting by calling the emergency service out, unless he believed there was a leak, or that the meter and it's connections were not securely in place.

[Deleted User]

The meter is fine under the sink. I see them all day either under kitchen worktops or in cupboards which have been converted into downstairs toilets. I also see them in outside boxes where the occupiers have ripped the box door off leaving them open to the elements getting soaked .Its an odd meter reader who sticks his nose into health and safety advice about meter positions. OP, ignore the requests to refuse a smart meter. Get one in, they re excellent, safe, and you can start to forget about crawling under the sink with a torch. Matelodave is correct, the suppliers in the future may charge you extra for causing them extra costs by refusing one. Florida and California charge yearly, and a one off payment, for those who refuse. Why be a refusenik for something which is an improvement on a meter from the last century.
Once you get a smart meter installed smart switching is nt in force as of yet except with BG/Sainsburys and maybe SSE and M/S , so the meter will lose its smart functions but will retain a proper energy monitior if you switch from EON. So what ! a meter is a meter even if its a bit dumb. Eons smart meter will be fine as a credit meter with all suppliers. If it is in prepayment mode it may well be restricted to a few who support Liberty Secure prepay meters.

System

matelodave wrote: »

You need a meter so what difference does it make whether its smart or dumb.

Because smart meters are not (yet) universal. You can find that you will not be able to switch to a seller of your choice because they do not support that make/type of smart meter

CashStrapped

!!!!!! wrote: »

Because smart meters are not (yet) universal. You can find that you will not be able to switch to a seller of your choice because they do not support that make/type of smart meter

I thought it just becomes a normal meter that you read. It is only the "smart" services that some companies do not support. So there are no downsides.

sofiar

I agree with cashstrapped "they want" therefore you have the option to say no, or alternatively if "they want" they can pay for it! :-)

[Deleted User]

CashStrapped wrote: »

I thought it just becomes a normal meter that you read. It is only the "smart" services that some companies do not support. So there are no downsides.

Eon are known to be fitting the Liberty Secure smart meter. Used by Ovo and Utilita. This meter when used in prepayment mode wont be able to be supported by the mainstream. Its fine in credit mode by all suppliers.

System

CashStrapped wrote: »

I thought it just becomes a normal meter that you read. It is only the "smart" services that some companies do not support. So there are no downsides.

If the gaining company find a smart meter that they do not support then they will not accept you. It is not just a case of it being used as a standard meter, there is the problem that if there is a fault (and smart meter technology is not yet up to a standard where that is rare) then they have no way of repairing it. Yes, they can swap it out but they then have a pile of scrap rather than a meter that is possibly repairable.