Can't have a smart meter-wiring issue, am I alone?

R.j.Belcher

Hi with the rise of smart meter only tariffs I may have to have one but there is a issue. Around 5 years ago a engineer came to fit one but said he couldn't due to some wiring issues. There is a spur off of the main supply that goes to two RCD boxes. These were here when we moved in and one has a install label from Southern Electric from 1995. These must have been installed when the communal heating system was removed and a hot water tank installed. I was told these are not up to modern specs but my neighbours have similar systems and none had a problem. Anybody else had a similar issue or should I try again to get a SM installed?

Rob

MattMattMattUK

R.j.Belcher said:

Hi with the rise of smart meter only tariffs I may have to have one but there is a issue. Around 5 years ago a engineer came to fit one but said he couldn't due to some wiring issues. There is a spur off of the main supply that goes to two RCD boxes. These were here when we moved in and one has a install label from Southern Electric from 1995. These must have been installed when the communal heating system was removed and a hot water tank installed. I was told these are not up to modern specs but my neighbours have similar systems and none had a problem. Anybody else had a similar issue or should I try again to get a SM installed?

Rob

Try again, if the engineer says he cannot fit one ask him to write down the specific issue, get an electrician to bring the system up to standard, have a smart meter installed. 

MWT

R.j.Belcher said:

There is a spur off of the main supply that goes to two RCD boxes.

Can you post a photo of the wiring around the meter, the incoming supply and the RCD boxes?

Depending upon how it is wired, it could be a simple job for a local electrician to deal with...

Rodders53

Pics would be helpful. 
Are you the home owner or a tenant?

molerat

"Not up to modern specs" or "too difficult for me to figure out" ?  Meter fitters are just that, trained on a very narrow field of knowledge.

R.j.Belcher

Hi yes I did wonder if it was just too much effort. Here is a photo, its under the stairs without much light. I am a home owner, obviously it looks to have been done professionaly by the SEC label. As it is now one supply for our water heather (no central heating) and one is now for the bathroom towell rail.

Astria

This is the exact reason I don't want a smart meter - my next door neighbour had a similar issue - but the fitter removed the main fuse to install the meter and refused to refit it until the installation was "brought upto standard". It doesn't need bringing upto standard if it's safe. Needed a formal complaint to get them to reinstall the main fuse!

So personally I'd just try again and see what they say and go from there. Don't spend money on something that shouldn't need changing.

R.j.Belcher

Thanks Astrria, glad I am not alone.  It does seem crazy that something that has been safe for 25 years suddenley isnt when a SM needs to be installed. No way am I gong to spend money, particually as we will be moving in a few years. Just seems to be some suppliers who have SM only deals.

Astria

Yes exactly - if it was installed according to the requirements back then it's still valid now unless it has become dangerous.

I know someone who still has the plugin fuses rather than RCDs (or MCBs, depends how you look at it), you wouldn't be able to do that now but the installation is still safe. Personally I would have them replaced but it's not a requirement.

ProDave

Can I have a closer picture of what exactly happens with those cables immediately below the meter, not clear in that picture.

Some of us would like to find out what wiring prevents a smart meter being fitted so I can put that wiring in place deliberately to scupper any ideas of having a smart meter here.

wittynamegoeshere

The fitter was completely happy to fit a smart meter to our dodgy old wiring.

We have two consumer units, each fed directly.  But in ours, the split is done using a big chunky junction box.  I'm guessing that yours was done the dodgy way, by jamming an extra wire into each terminal in the meter.  If so then it's understandable that they don't want to do this with the new meter.

You'll probably need to get a sparky to put a junction box in, so that the feed from the meter is just one cable.  Or feed them indirectly from the main consumer unit if possible.  Then they'll swap the meter.

Also, there's a label saying something about 24-hour on your main consumer unit.  Do you have Economy 7 or similar?  If so then it will need to remain separate.  Perhaps you just need to combine the two smaller units, separate from the main one.

You need to end up with a situation where there's just one cable coming out of each terminal of the meter.

Also the cable leading to the two smaller consumer units looks too thin to be sufficient, if they're fed directly from the meter.  Also it looks like there may be an unsheathed (single-insulated) live cable there (the red one).

Definitely get an electrician in, it needs a bit of re-work to make it safe.  It shouldn't be a huge deal.