"nospam" wrote
| I would like to move my consumer unit and replace it with a more
| modern version. This would involve moving the whole lot nearer
| the front door, but higher up the wall, ie no walls / floorboards
| to go through, but a longer length of cable required at some point
| in the chain (preferably between the main elec board supply and the
| cutout).

That may be *expensive*. A lot depends on the exact details of the physical
form your supply takes. A modern supply would normally have armoured or
concentric cable direct into the service cutout.

| I have two options - to move just the consumer unit, or to move the
| whole lot.
| My understanding from previous newsgroup conversations is that if I
| just wanted to move my consumer unit, it is legal for me to replace
| the tails between the meter and the consumer unit with longer ones,
| using an appropriate master current limiting device between them?
| This would be a pretty safe procedure as last year the elec board
| fitted a brand new meter which has the ability to complete isolate
| the elec supply to the house from the meter itself.

Unless that meter/isolator provides access to the meter tail terminals, you
should reuse the existing tails from meter to switchfuse. You should not
break meter seals to get to the terminals.

There is a limit on how long tails can be from meter to CU without fusing.
You are probably best to fit a new switchfuse as close to the meter as
practicable and then take your own supply from there.

| I have some questions though ...
| (1) The new meter is small and the top half of the board on which it
| is mounted is empty. Is it legal for me to remove the upper half of
| this board, without removing the meter from it, to gain a bit more
| space above?

It depends if it's their board or yours. You will probably get away with
doing it. Obviously, be very careful how you remove it. Using sharp tools in
areas with high current electric cables permits the possibility of fairly
spectacular fireworks.

| (2) I guess the best route is to move the whole lot to the new location -
| can I contact a local firm about this, leaving them to liaise with the
elec
| supplier moving the cutout, or do I need to do the whole lot through
the
| supplier? If the supplier, is that who I pay my bill to, or the "local"
elec
| company.

Probably the 'local' elect company.

| (3) My lighting circuit is PVC but with no earth - can the elec supplier
| refuse to reconnect the supply to this?

Almost certainly yes.

| Can I, as I've seen suggested on previous threads, install the new
consumer
| unit first with one "perfectly working" circuit and ask them to connect
this
| up to the supply, leaving the others till later?

You can.

| (4) Are there any other potential pitfalls I should be aware of which may
| result in the supplier refusing to reconnect the supply to my system?

You will need to bring your earthing and earth bonding up to current
standards.

Also, in Greater London, because of the density of the electricity supply
network, the maximum prospective short-circuit current at the origin of the
installation may be exceptionally high. This must be taken into
consideration when carrying out circuit calculations and selecting breakers.

Owain