Electric meter asbestos backboard help

JYeates

I'm going round in circles, can anyone help?
Moved in to council house 6 weeks ago and immediately contacted SSE to get gas and electric set up. Gas was fine but there's some kind of issue with the pay as you go meter currently installed that they couldn't sort out, and I don't need to be on pay as you go, so solution is to swap it for a smart meter.
Engineer (eventually - another story) came out and immediately said he couldn't do it because the meter is on an asbestos backboard.

SSE won't touch and sent me to the council, council (who are my landlords) say they can't touch because it belongs to the electricity company and sent me to the DNO, the DNO have given me three different answers but eventually said it's the council's responsibility as home owner. 

I'm going round in circles and meanwhile I'm stuck with a pay as you go meter I don't want or need that's stuck in E1 Vend mode, so I can't add money to it anyway, and I'm worried that the electric will just cut out at some point because it isn't set up properly. 

Whose responsibility is it to get the asbestos backboard out so a new meter can be installed? 

Verdigris

The meter, itself, belongs to whoever is deemed supplier. As to the backboard, if it also has the main fuse attached to the asbestos, then the DNO (or their predecessor) almost certainly fitted it. Then again, a social landlord shouldn't be moving people into a property containing asbestos, although they would probably argue it is ssafe as long as it isn't disturbed.

I think a call to the Citizens Advice Bureau would be you best bet. They are bound to have records of the outcomes in cases similar to this. Best of luck.

MWT

JYeates said:

...and sent me to the DNO, the DNO have given me three different answers but eventually said it's the council's responsibility as home owner.

Your DNO should be doing this, which DNO handles your supply?

This is from my DNO:

https://www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk/electricity/replace-meter-board

JYeates

Verdigris said:

The meter, itself, belongs to whoever is deemed supplier. As to the backboard, if it also has the main fuse attached to the asbestos, then the DNO (or their predecessor) almost certainly fitted it. Then again, a social landlord shouldn't be moving people into a property containing asbestos, although they would probably argue it is ssafe as long as it isn't disturbed.

I think a call to the Citizens Advice Bureau would be you best bet. They are bound to have records of the outcomes in cases similar to this. Best of luck.

Didn't know about the asbestos until I'd accepted the property, but yes that's exactly what they say. 
I've contacted citizens advice, waiting for a reply. 
Thank you

JYeates

MWT said:

JYeates said:

...and sent me to the DNO, the DNO have given me three different answers but eventually said it's the council's responsibility as home owner.

Your DNO should be doing this, which DNO handles your supply?

SSEN and initially they said they would do it, then they asked for an asbestos report before they would do it, then they said it wasn't their responsibility and to get the council to call them so they could explain that the homeowner is responsible. All in the same day. But I know the council won't touch the meter and wiring that's on the board. It's very frustrating. 

gefnew

How do they know it is asbestos until it is sampled.
How old is the property as asbestos was stopped being used in the 1980`s
Also the council should have a asbestos report on your property by law.
contact enviromental heath and see if they can aid you.

MWT

It will keep going around in a circle though, even if the council decide to fix it, they will need the DNO engineer to be there to deal with the electrical side of things...

This is why the DNO usually ends up doing it.

SSEN even have a form specifically for booking the work to be done...

https://www.ssen.co.uk/GeneralEnquiries/InsideYourHome/MeterBoard/Form/

JYeates

Thanks - I have filled in the booking form and emailed the council for the asbestos report- I did have a copy of it saved but the pdf has corrupted. Still waiting for SSE to get back to me about how I'm going to pay for electric until this all gets sorted out and reassurance I won't be cut off...

JYeates

Also a bit worrying that the meter is less than two years old so somebody has worked on the asbestos backboard in the last two years and never raised it as a concern. Unless it turns out it isn't asbestos after all!