Has anyone had this situation

Giraffe76

Hi all,

We live in a ground floor maisonette and tried to get a smart meter installed but when the engineer came out he said he wouldn't be able to do anything as our electric supply was connected with the property above us and if he tried doing anything without seeing that everything in the above property was properly turned off he could get an energy kick back and be killed. Unfortunately the property above is owned by a gentleman who we have seen twice in the 2.5 years that we have lived here due to him looking after his sick parents. I have his number and have texted him several times but he hasn't replied.
Has anyone had this situation before or can anyone suggest anything else please

Kind regards Mark 

Mobtr

Sounds like you have a shared main fuse. This needs to be removed when the meter is exchanged which will disconnect both supplies. 

Engineer will not do it without consent from the other flat’s occupier & he would need access to the flat to check everything ok when the supply reconnected 

Ectophile

if he tried doing anything without seeing that everything in the above property was properly turned off he could get an energy kick back and be killed

I rather doubt that, but meter fitters are trained to fit meters, and nothing else.  But a meter fitter wouldn't want to disconnect somebody else's supply, even temporarily, unless they know that it safe to do so.

Giraffe76

Thanks for all the replies. It looks like I'm stuck without the option to get a smart meter 

Swipe

Giraffe76 said:

Thanks for all the replies. It looks like I'm stuck without the option to get a smart meter 

If one can't be fitted through no fault of your own you shouldn't be excluded from the cheaper fixed tariffs

Giraffe76

Swipe said:

Giraffe76 said:

Thanks for all the replies. It looks like I'm stuck without the option to get a smart meter 

If one can't be fitted through no fault of your own you shouldn't be excluded from the cheaper fixed tariffs

But how do I explain that to any companies and would they accept it?

Would there be any chance of getting a separate supply?

Giraffe76

Ectophile said:

if he tried doing anything without seeing that everything in the above property was properly turned off he could get an energy kick back and be killed

I rather doubt that, but meter fitters are trained to fit meters, and nothing else.  But a meter fitter wouldn't want to disconnect somebody else's supply, even temporarily, unless they know that it safe to do so.

Would there be any chance of getting a separate supply?

Giraffe76

Mobtr said:

Sounds like you have a shared main fuse. This needs to be removed when the meter is exchanged which will disconnect both supplies. 

Engineer will not do it without consent from the other flat’s occupier & he would need access to the flat to check everything ok when the supply reconnected 

Would there be any chance of getting a separate supply

Torry_Quine

I've got this problem as I'm on the ground floor of a four in a block. I've had two visits already and have a third booked. I was told the reason they need the upstairs neighbour in when they switch them off in case they have equipment which needs constant supply. I've now spoken to my neighbour who is happy for the supply to be off if he's not in. No mention of kick back

Ms_Chocaholic

Can you put a note through your neighbour's door? He may have changed his phone no.

MWT

Giraffe76 said:

Swipe said:

Giraffe76 said:

Thanks for all the replies. It looks like I'm stuck without the option to get a smart meter 

If one can't be fitted through no fault of your own you shouldn't be excluded from the cheaper fixed tariffs

But how do I explain that to any companies and would they accept it?

Having a working smart meter is a prerequisite for some tariffs and no matter what the reason is for not having one, you just can't have some tariffs without a working smart meter.

... but if it is just a normal fixed tariff with no smart features that requires you to agree to a smart meter then yes, you would stand a good chance of being able to stay on that tariff.