Neighbours main electric box in our house!

candy656

Our property used to be part of one large house that was converted into two, we own the smaller part of the property and I cant remember when it was converted but we have lived there for 7 years. We are currently doing major renovations to the property (back to brickwork and major extensions) our builder has found a slight issue. whilst we know we don't pay our neighbours electrics, the builder has found that the main part of our neighbours electrics are on our box. i.e. we have control of turning off all their electrics, sorry I don't know the technical name for it.
We are wondering who is responsible for it and whether we can ask our neighbour to move this or would this be our responsibility?
Whether this would create issues when coming to sell etc.?

Davesnave

Yes, I'm sure it could cause problems if either of you decides to sell, but you are probably in the best position to get it sorted now while other work is going on.

Whether it's a 'convenient' time for your neighbour and their normal relationship with you are two large unknowns, but if they have half a brain they'll want to co-operate.

I would guess that money might be a sticking point, as moving a consumer unit will not be cheap, but with a long term view, it's the right thing to do IMO.

brightontraveller

candy656 wrote: »

Our property used to be part of one large house that was converted into two, we own the smaller part of the property and I cant remember when it was converted but we have lived there for 7 years. We are currently doing major renovations to the property (back to brickwork and major extensions) our builder has found a slight issue. whilst we know we don't pay our neighbours electrics, the builder has found that the main part of our neighbours electrics are on our box. i.e. we have control of turning off all their electrics, sorry I don't know the technical name for it.
We are wondering who is responsible for it and whether we can ask our neighbour to move this or would this be our responsibility?
Whether this would create issues when coming to sell etc.?

Something doesn’t ring right If the electrics are on a standard consumer unit (fuse board) then one account holder will be paying for them?
Long shot originally 3ph supply / Board with separate meters per phase? )

If its simply that there meter is in your property (not great but not overly going to effect you / them) moving meter over about 1meter can easily be few thousand dependant on supplier, cost of electrical works adding new CU (fuse board) re-routing your/there cables etc 3k all in….
If it is a shared meter / CU then it could get very interesting whose supply etc ( that’s not necessarily the bill payers either ?) You get into lease/ freeholder but if there were covenants etc solicitor when you purchased should have picked these up?

Prior to commencing works on building as described I'd have expected a good builder to have investigated certain things first...?

You need to establish whose supply, whom has rights , if there are covenants etc then go from there.... If its as you describe and your not careful how you approach it I see thousands if you and neighbor get on well? Thousands more if you don't the question is whose paying them.....

Jackmydad

A photograph of what's actually there might help. Very peculiar if the neighbours consumer unit is in there. Less so if the metering and possibly an isolator switch for the main cable to the neighbour's is in there.
Usually (but not always) the supplier is responsible for everything up to and including the meter, and sometimes an isolator.
Whatever the case, it really wants sorting. Certainly if I was the neighbour I wouldn't want any control over my supply in a neighbour's house.

robatwork

In 7 years you've never had occasion to turn your power off at the mains?

exiled_red

That's a crazy situation, if a fuse trips in your neighbour's house while you are away they can't turn their power back on? I find it odd that their meter is on their side but their consumer unit is on your side. Presumably when the property was split an additional meter was added it seems crazy not to have a seperate consumer unit in each dwelling.

I_have_spoken

It's possible the gubbins like an old fuse box was left over from the conversion and isn't in use.

You often see a rats-nest that nobody wants to touch as it's turn into a big job

wr1ght

more likely to be a shared cutout/mains fuse
a photo would help