Electric Vehicle - Home Charge Point Installation

chiny

OK, well BP did take a lot of info from me on electrical loads, so maybe they did the sums but I have no evidence one way or the other.   My measurements of load (rather than calculations) show that peak domestic load plus EV load will just exceed the 60 A fuse, although by so little the fuse will probably survive (according to Bussmann fuse data curves).   Too close for comfort though, so I'll give my DNO a call next week.

I had my electrician fit the BP-required isolator, as suggested by my DNO who wouldn't even consider putting it into their work schedule for 3 months (all this pre-COVID).    Fuse upsizing could be a long wait.

Hmm, could my electricity supplier do the job ?   Or must it be the DNO ?

rjmachin

My DNO had a two week wait post-COVID for installing a isolator switch, which was Western Power.
I would have thought the fuze upsizing would be a quicker job.
It may be possible for your electricity supplier to do the job.  I paid just over £200 for the isolator switch, which according to Avro, they can do it for £60 (https://www.avroenergy.co.uk/Prices), but I preferred to go straight to the DNO (although I didn't know the price at this point)

MWT

The fuse upgrade should be done by your DNO, but they won't touch the meter tails so it is worth checking if they need upgrading as well.

Mine went a little oddly as my DNO happily approved a free upgrade from 60A to 80A but then the guy turned up he only had a 100A fuse with him so he fitted that even though the meter tails were not actually up to spec for 100A.

When I had my smart meters fitted the guy doing that 'corrected' it back to 80A.

Still more than we need as we have no high power devices other than the car charger and the cooker. No electric shower for example.

chiny

Various parties responses seem rather variable; my DNO is WPD and they wanted £95 for an isolator (but couldn't make a booking for 3 months, pre-COVID).   My electrician charged £105 next day.

The smart meter man would not change the fuse, he said he was allowed only to remove/inspect and put the same fuse back.   He also went mad with "meter seals" and put them on items downstream of the meter and tails, including on my isolator, and 3 of my circuit breakers, some of which I hadn't realised were "sealable".

I suspect the answer for my fuse upgrade, is to ring my DNO one week, energy company the next, DNO the next... until I get the fuse upgraded.

rjmachin

I needed a Double Pole Mains Isolation Switch between the meter and the fuse board / consumer unit.
I rang two electricians, both said it was not legal for them to do it because the main fuse would need taking out and the seals breaking and it was not worth the risk of them doing that.  They both advised me to speak to the DNO as it was their responsibility.
This all came about for me because BP Chargemaster said as I did not have any spare ways on my consumer unit, they need a way of turning off the power to the consumer unit.

JC_Derby

rjmachin said:

I needed a Double Pole Mains Isolation Switch between the meter and the fuse board / consumer unit.
I rang two electricians, both said it was not legal for them to do it because the main fuse would need taking out and the seals breaking and it was not worth the risk of them doing that.  They both advised me to speak to the DNO as it was their responsibility.
This all came about for me because BP Chargemaster said as I did not have any spare ways on my consumer unit, they need a way of turning off the power to the consumer unit.

So your electrician is wrong, they can work on the meter tails to the consumer unit as they are part of your installation- they won’t want to do it as without removing the fuse they would be working live, they are correct in that they should not be removing the fuse.
It is not a DNO responsibility to fit a double pole isolator, but they will do it usually for a fee.... so will your electricity supplier, they may be cheaper.
Lastly certain digital electricity meters have an isolating switch on the outgoing side Can’t remember which sort is is off hand.

rjmachin

JC_Derby said:

So your electrician is wrong, they can work on the meter tails to the consumer unit as they are part of your installation- they won’t want to do it as without removing the fuse they would be working live, they are correct in that they should not be removing the fuse.
It is not a DNO responsibility to fit a double pole isolator, but they will do it usually for a fee.... so will your electricity supplier, they may be cheaper.
Lastly certain digital electricity meters have an isolating switch on the outgoing side Can’t remember which sort is is off hand.

Maybe the word "legal" was incorrect on my part, but as you agreed, my electrician was correct in saying they should not be removing the fuse.
Also, maybe the word "responsibility" was also wrong, as I was advised by BP Chargemaster that the DNO, an Electrician or my electric supplier may be able to arrange for one to be fitted.  I tried 2 electricians first, both said "no" due to the fuse issue, I did not bother trying my electric company, Avro Energy, as they are not a big one and I doubted, maybe wrongly, that I would have much luck, so after the electricians I went to the DNO to try and get it done quickly to get my charger fitted sooner rather than later.
On your last point, my meter is one of the older ones, not quite a spinning disk one, though.  There is a picture of it on reply #3.  There was not isolating switch on it.

JC_Derby

It is a spinning disk one!

rjmachin

Oh yeah, ha ha, so it is.  I was looking at the numbers above it