Old electricity meter

Lind51

Some time ago I had a visit from electricity engineer as my meter is out of date. It is inaccessible as at the back of a corner kitchen unit (kitchen put in by previous house owner}.He could take no action. I do have a smart meter as I am disabled. If it is essential that it has to be replaced, who is reponsible for the considerable damage this will cause?

Alnat1

Unfortunately that would be you, the owner of the property is supposed to keep the meters accessible.

Scot_39

The home owner - is responsible for provision of a suitable meter location - and access to it and it's wiring again is the responsibility of the the homeowner.

Lots of posters have had trouble - with too tight a physical space for smart meters - with own wiring or consumer units getting in the way - or even old cabinet itself too tight.

Is there anywhere nearby the meter could be moved to - by your own electrician - or the suppliers / DNO - within the room itself.

Normally any significant meter move gets expensive - especially if DNO have to move the incoming supply from outside the home.

I assume your not renting.

I dont want to give you false hope - but there were according to this tradesman search/advertising website - that I looked at to get an idea of costs - schemes to aid the elderly and disabled - checkatrade blog page - are you on your suppliers Priority Services Register as disabled ?

https://www.checkatrade.com/blog/cost-guides/moving-electric-meter-cost/

"Can I move my electric meter free of charge?

If you are having trouble with the placement of your meter and don't have the budget to fork out for relocation, read on. Depending on your circumstances, you may be eligible to have your electric meter moved free of charge. Fee exemption applies to the following groups of people:

• Those on the Priority Services Register

• Those who are at an age to receive their pensions

• Those who have a disability

If in doubt, ask your supplier whether your circumstances make you eligible to receive this service for free."

Could be worth a phone call to your electricity supplier - given that disability line - but it could be its means tested / restricted to those on certain benefits etc.

You might though still have to provide access and pay for cabinets to be reinstated - but you would need to see what would be required in your particular circumstances - and the contractor doing the move - might be more flexible than a meter fitter would be.

Keep_pedalling

Would it be possible to temporarily remove the cupboard?

EssexHebridean

Ask them also to explore the possibility that the comms hub can be placed alongside rather than on top of the meter if that might help it to fit. That said, you say you already have a smart meter - it’s surprising that the new one takes up more space than the one being removed which I assume was an early SMETS1 offering? (Can you remember when it was fitted?) 

MWT

EssexHebridean said:

Ask them also to explore the possibility that the comms hub can be placed alongside rather than on top of the meter if that might help it to fit. That said, you say you already have a smart meter - it’s surprising that the new one takes up more space than the one being removed which I assume was an early SMETS1 offering? (Can you remember when it was fitted?) 

It may not be a simple matter of space, but just be impossible to work on within the confines of a corner kitchen unit perhaps...?

EssexHebridean

MWT said:

EssexHebridean said:

Ask them also to explore the possibility that the comms hub can be placed alongside rather than on top of the meter if that might help it to fit. That said, you say you already have a smart meter - it’s surprising that the new one takes up more space than the one being removed which I assume was an early SMETS1 offering? (Can you remember when it was fitted?) 

It may not be a simple matter of space, but just be impossible to work on within the confines of a corner kitchen unit perhaps...?

Yes - I wonder whether the kitchen has been refitted relatively recently and after the previous meter was swapped for the current one?