Smart Meter Installation Trouble

doodling

Hi,

wwfwilla said:

doodling said:

Hi,

In general DNOs (the people who maintain the local electricity supply network) are not obliged to provide an earth.  It would be helpful if you could provide a picture of your electricity supply (DNO fuse and consumer unit, together with the connections between them) if you want further comments on the earthing.

With respect to the smart meter installation, I think you'd need to talk to BG to understand why it won't let you book online.

Here’s a picture.

To comment on the earthing we need to see the whole installation including the main fuse (which will be at the end of the thick cable that supplies the property).  The meter itself has nothing to do with the earhing of the property.

sheenas

Qyburn said:

My understanding is the DNO isn't obliged to provide an earth, but if they have done in the past they are obliged to maintain it.

The are common types of earthing systems in use within the Uk PP,TN-S and TN-S-C. Depending on which system you have will determine who maintains what. There are a well defined rule as what the network operator maintains and what an electrician can maintain. It can be very frustrating organising each party to do their bit, but essential. The gas engineer may also refuse to work on incorrectly earth installations. Metal pipes can be carrying dangerous levels of electricity if not earthed. 

QrizB

doodling said:

Hi,

wwfwilla said:

doodling said:

Hi,

In general DNOs (the people who maintain the local electricity supply network) are not obliged to provide an earth.  It would be helpful if you could provide a picture of your electricity supply (DNO fuse and consumer unit, together with the connections between them) if you want further comments on the earthing.

With respect to the smart meter installation, I think you'd need to talk to BG to understand why it won't let you book online.

Here’s a picture.

To comment on the earthing we need to see the whole installation including the main fuse (which will be at the end of the thick cable that supplies the property).  The meter itself has nothing to do with the earhing of the property.

Also, where does the green wire at the bottom of that photo come from and go to?
FWIW that looks like a relatively modern DNO cutout on the far left of the photo, and a recent dual pole isolator on the far right.

Qyburn

wwfwilla said:

Qyburn said:

My understanding is the DNO isn't obliged to provide an earth, but if they have done in the past they are obliged to maintain it.

The electrician said not having an earth was highly dangerous 

It is, but the earth can be provided locally via one or more earth rods. That arrangement is called TT and has additional requirements regarding RCD protection. If there's truly no earth then the you're probably as well getting your electrician to fit an earth rod.

Has the electrician confirmed this on site?

sheenas

I would contact the network operator and ask what earthing arrangement you should have first. Get them to correct any issues their side and call the electrician to correct any issues remaining. TT earthing is generally not used in domestic installations these days, TN-S-C is the modern normal. No way of telling from the photos what you have. 

squirrelpie

My meter cabinet has a sticker stating what type of earthing is used in my installation. IIRC it's stuck over the fuse holder.

Heedtheadvice

As per sheenas' statement above regarding how to get inormation about what your earthing arrangements ought to be, I.e. who to ask. Note the link given to you previously to find your DNO. That should be your starting point.

Modern properties often have the Earth connection at the local DNO grid transformer and supplied to you as part of the Neutral connection that supplies several properties and is called Protective Multiple Earthing (PME). Many older properties ( and some others ) have different earthing arrangements.

I can well understand that the gas meter will not be changed until the earthing has been sorted correctly for liability reasons. Also that, for before and after gas appliance testing/ purging, any gas appliance needs to be accessible. That part you have now sorted.

Once the earthing arrangment meet the regulations ( or even straight away ) it would be good to have your mother on the Priority Services Register ( as previously posted) as that means the DNO and utility supplier have more onerous responsibilities to look after their customer and do follow that through. Ensuring correct earthing arrangements will be part of that though not necessarily any work to resolve any problem that fall within the remit of the property owner which starts at ( and includes ) the consumer unit.

As regards Smart metering I can confirm that the Aclara meter is a modern SMETS2 meter so you should not need that changing. If BG are not getting automatic readings than that is an issue of communications ( technical or otherwise). A good starting point is the lights on the hub ( above the meter ). The gas one ( far right can be ignored for now as that meter is not smart) but the left four should all be flashing frequently. Good idea to check that initially.

See appendix B1at https://www.smartdcc.co.uk/media/kdged1me/communications-hub-supporting-information-v20.pdf

wwfwilla

Thanks for the info about the Priority Services Register.

Been to my mums so here’s some more pics

QrizB

Ok, it looks as though your earth is derived from the DNO cut-out as you'd expect for a Protective Multiple Earths (TN-C-S) earthing scheme.

But for that, I'd also expect to see earth bonding of stuff back to the cutout. And I can't see any of that.

If there's an electrician reading this thread, maybe they can comment more meaningfully?