Western Power - Charge to move Unsafe Meter +£300

badmemory

The problem with meters is that every new one is harder to read than the last old one (I'm going back 50 years here).  They should now be installed at a rough eye level so just about anyone can read them with ease, but no they like them where a lot of us struggle to read them because that is how they are eventually going to force us to have so-called smart meters.

JC_Derby

strinder27 said:

Hi Everyone, 
I am being quoted +£300 (estimate) for moving my meter to a Safe Location in my house which is 1.5m higher than its current position. 
this meter has been in place for over 30 years (put there by Western power or nationwide eclectic board at the time). its located in the pantry 200mm from the floor and completely exposed wires and all. 
it is illegal for me to move touch or get someone else to carry out the alteration to make safe and its not legally my property to do so anyway. 
E.ON have now told me that I need a new meter as mine is too old and when I have mentioned in need to be put in a safe place but they sate its western power issue and they will only come out if I pay.
I am confused as if my family was to hurt themselves on this meter or it caught fire it would be Western Powers Fault for not maintain etc... as its their property ? 

i have already paid a lot of cash to move re new the fuse box and repostion this to a higher safe area above 2m high. 

Any advice be greatly appreciated. 

Who exactly has quoted this £300

The meter is not owned by Western Power, it will be owned by your electricity supplier which is E.on and maintained and read by their chosen meter operator.

 You have stated in your post that it is you that wants it moving and that you want it moved to a safe place, not WPD.  If WPD thought it was unsafe then I’m sure that they would make it safe. Eon are correct in that yes it’s a WPD issue as what you are actually asking for is a service alteration - that is to cut and extend the service and move the cut out, meter board and meter higher. That being said I believe the highest that a meter can be moved to is 1.8m.
i also suspect that £300 would not be sufficient to cover that as a service alteration

lastly if you were to pay anyone other than your DNO (WPD)to do that, and WPD discovered this, they would be quite within their rights to disconnect your electricity supply on the grounds of safety ( for tampering) and you would then have to pay the charge to be physically reconnected.

speak to Western Power

Robin9

Hasbeen said:

OP cannot forget about it. It has to be raised to a safe height to be with the consumer unit.

No he doesn't - the meter does not have to be alongside the consumer unit.  He could fit a fused isolator alongside the mains cutout and leave the tails as they are.  Max length is 3m subject to the size of the distribution operators fuse.

Hasbeen

Robin9 said:

Hasbeen said:

OP cannot forget about it. It has to be raised to a safe height to be with the consumer unit.

No he doesn't - the meter does not have to be alongside the consumer unit.  He could fit a fused isolator alongside the mains cutout and leave the tails as they are.  Max length is 3m subject to the size of the distribution operators fuse.

"Humour" Whoosh 

matelodave

this is what WPD say about meter locations
"The space needs to be easily accessible to us and ideally should be between 0.5m and 1.0m above floor level and on or adjacent to an external wall. The meter must be positioned where it will not be damaged and as near as possible to the point our service cable enters your house"

So what is unsafe about the position or installation of the OP's meter.

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc

strinder27 said:

Hi Everyone, 
I am being quoted +£300 (estimate) for moving my meter to a Safe Location in my house which is 1.5m higher than its current position. 
this meter has been in place for over 30 years (put there by Western power or nationwide eclectic board at the time). its located in the pantry 200mm from the floor and completely exposed wires and all. 
it is illegal for me to move touch or get someone else to carry out the alteration to make safe and its not legally my property to do so anyway. 
E.ON have now told me that I need a new meter as mine is too old and when I have mentioned in need to be put in a safe place but they sate its western power issue and they will only come out if I pay.
I am confused as if my family was to hurt themselves on this meter or it caught fire it would be Western Powers Fault for not maintain etc... as its their property ? 

i have already paid a lot of cash to move re new the fuse box and repostion this to a higher safe area above 2m high. 

Any advice be greatly appreciated. 

Hello strinder27 and JC_Derby is spot on - thanks JC_Derby.

To move a meter further than the cables go or off the meter board is classed as a major move and you'll need to call the distribution company (Western Power) to book an appointment for a service alteration. The charge for this depends on the distributor.

The distributor will only move the incoming supply and not the meter. We'll need to arrange for a technician to move your meter on the same day and will arrange this once the job has been agreed with the distribution company. There are separate charges for this depending on the individual circumstances.

Hope this points you in the right direction strinder27.

Malc