BG smart meter installation blew electrics

MeterMan

You were allowed at one point to change an electric meter with the customer not being present, but you had to measure the amount of electricity being used and if over a certain amount, you weren't allowed to change it.

brewerdave

MeterMan wrote: »

You were allowed at one point to change an electric meter with the customer not being present, but you had to measure the amount of electricity being used and if over a certain amount, you weren't allowed to change it.

...My neighbour's meter exchange was booked for a.m switch -no-one turned up so neighbour's wife went out.Came back a few hours later to find a card pushed thru the door with the old meter reading on -the meter had been exchanged with no-one home. We assumed that the job had been done by a contractor on some form of commission. Since all appeared fine, they decided not to complain!

Chordeiles

MeterMan wrote: »

we do turn off from the consumer unit, you're supposed to ask the customer to turn off the sockets, if they chose not to, then its their call.

My meters changed by British Gas 12 days ago. I was warned that the electricity would go off, in fact I was asked if it would be o.k. to do it "now" at the point it went off. But never any suggestion I should turn off anything at the sockets.

I don't get it (and I'm an electrical engineer). If we suffer a power cut then it goes off and comes back on again without warning. Nothing dies.

I do recall a period of reduced voltage (maybe 90V instead of 240V) after a storm a few years ago, my boiler was doing crazy things so I switched it (and lots of other stuff) off. But (as you say) a meter is just a meter.

[Deleted User]

Chordeiles wrote: »

My meters changed by British Gas 12 days ago. I was warned that the electricity would go off, in fact I was asked if it would be o.k. to do it "now" at the point it went off. But never any suggestion I should turn off anything at the sockets.

I don't get it (and I'm an electrical engineer). If we suffer a power cut then it goes off and comes back on again without warning. Nothing dies.

I do recall a period of reduced voltage (maybe 90V instead of 240V) after a storm a few years ago, my boiler was doing crazy things so I switched it (and lots of other stuff) off. But (as you say) a meter is just a meter.

If you re on an oxygen machine or home dialysis machine its possible someone could die.

Swipe

You needed the heating on in August?

Owain_Moneysaver

Swipe wrote: »

You needed the heating on in August?

not impossible in some of the colder parts of the country, but more likely heating = boiler = hot water.

C_Mababejive

MeterMan wrote: »

You were allowed at one point to change an electric meter with the customer not being present, but you had to measure the amount of electricity being used and if over a certain amount, you weren't allowed to change it.

They will be snatching gas meter in next..

Frozen_up_north

Whenever work is being done on a meter and consumer unit it is essential that each appliance and socket is turned off. If a motor is running (fridge/freezer/heating pump) when the consumer unit is turned off there could be a significant spike in Voltage fed to the other appliances caused by back EMF from the inductive load. Mains powered appliances should be able to cope with large Voltage spikes as they can happen at any time, but when you know work is being carried out it's always a good plan to disconnect, or switch off at the socket all your household items.

Too late to help the OP, but might save others finding a failed appliance after electrical work.