I requested a meter move from my supplier from inside the front door
to outside the front door. Following the survey we were told we would
need a new mains supply, which would require yet another survey and a
cost of £690- excludes the meter move (not yet quoted for !!) and the
electricians required.

I have tried to no avail to get the supplier to explain why we need a
new mains supply (and indeed why we are responsible for paying for
this) as the house has an existing supply and we are not adding meters
(ie splitting into flats). Does anyone know of any situations as to
why we would potentially require a new mains supply in this
instance...?

Is your wires company EDF?

Professional highway robbers - it would be cheaper to chuck my wallet
and cards in the street, than it was to get my meter moved.

I suspect the answer to why will be "Because we can".

"Martha" wrote in message
oups.com...
I requested a meter move from my supplier from inside the front door
to outside the front door. Following the survey we were told we would
need a new mains supply, which would require yet another survey and a
cost of £690- excludes the meter move (not yet quoted for !!) and the
electricians required.

I have tried to no avail to get the supplier to explain why we need a
new mains supply (and indeed why we are responsible for paying for
this) as the house has an existing supply and we are not adding meters
(ie splitting into flats). Does anyone know of any situations as to
why we would potentially require a new mains supply in this
instance...?

No a new supply cable is not required, unless the one currently fitted is
looped off a neighbours supply, or the company wants you to pay for their
upgrade plan for the area. Years ago some houses were fed with one cable
and once storage heaters appeared it would burn out and cause house fires.
Cable jointing is not that difficult and a small cable like that takes about
15mins max to join. It's joined and then a sleeve tightened around it with
resin injected for waterproofing. In your case shortening the cable would
not be a problem as the people coming to do the job work on live cables all
the time. Unless they are cowboys.
To do your job if they have to drill holes in the wall or dig up your path
or drive/garden - it will take 2 hours max. So £690 for someone to stand
for 5mins and say "OK", then ONE electrician to sort it is way over the top.
In Liverpool in the mid-80's cable jointers did a great trade. For £50 they
would join a new cable on and give people an unmetered supply. That's until
the odd substation was overloaded and streets metered.
Scottish Power are currently upgrading meters and supplies in parts of the
country and contracting this out. I will post a picture of the state they
left my mains supply in!
It is possible to shove a wire in to the live terminal of the cutout and
cables have been left far too long. Now they have failed to keep two
appointments to replace the main fuse. It's all been fine for 20 years so
why do it now!

I would refuse to pay that amount and leave the meter where it was. Why put
it outside? Meter reading is possible remotely anyway, that's how people
are caught fiddling and those with high demand identified.

Scottish Power are currently upgrading meters and supplies in parts of the
country and contracting this out. I will post a picture of the state they
left my mains supply in!
It is possible to shove a wire in to the live terminal of the cutout and
cables have been left far too long

OK, i'll bite - care to drop me an email with some details and i'll
see if I can find out who's been doing the work ? (TIA)

The email address works as long as you take out all the caps :-)

I requested a meter move from my supplier from inside the front door
to outside the front door. Following the survey we were told we would
need a new mains supply, which would require yet another survey and a
cost of £690- excludes the meter move (not yet quoted for !!) and the
electricians required.
I have tried to no avail to get the supplier to explain why we need a
new mains supply (and indeed why we are responsible for paying for
this)

Per the other reply, depending on where you're currently fed from may
have a bearing in this - you might be on a looped supply, or it may
not be practicable from your existing incomer for another reason.

If the existing cable is old, it is common to replace it (in ducting)
all the way back to the main - the existing incomer might be
undersized for instance, given the amount of electrical equipment in
use in a modern house. There are still houses in certain areas of the
country fed by a looped T&E lead cable and fused at 30A.

Cables can and do deteriorate with age, and may be replaced as part of
a refurbishment scheme, but in this case, you're asking for the work
to be done in advance of other refurbishment work - you get to pay for
that... Incidentally, even with a service refurb, the supply would
normally go back in the same place as the old one.

The meter should be on the same wall within 6 feet of the as the
incoming service cable / cutout.

In article .com,
Martha wrote:
I requested a meter move from my supplier from inside the front door
to outside the front door. Following the survey we were told we would
need a new mains supply, which would require yet another survey and a
cost of £690- excludes the meter move (not yet quoted for !!) and the
electricians required.

I have tried to no avail to get the supplier to explain why we need a
new mains supply (and indeed why we are responsible for paying for
this) as the house has an existing supply and we are not adding meters
(ie splitting into flats). Does anyone know of any situations as to
why we would potentially require a new mains supply in this
instance...?

Just guessing, but it could be the cable is old and in marginal condition
so that shortening it isn't really practical. But it sounds like somewhat
of a bargain - a neighbour was quoted about 200 quid just to have an
earth clamp fitted to an existing cable.

--
*Why isn't 11 pronounced onety one? *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Martha" wrote in message
oups.com...
I requested a meter move from my supplier from inside the front door
to outside the front door. Following the survey we were told we would
need a new mains supply, which would require yet another survey and a
cost of £690- excludes the meter move (not yet quoted for !!) and the
electricians required.

I have tried to no avail to get the supplier to explain why we need a
new mains supply (and indeed why we are responsible for paying for
this) as the house has an existing supply and we are not adding meters
(ie splitting into flats). Does anyone know of any situations as to
why we would potentially require a new mains supply in this
instance...?

I'm intrigued as to why you want it outside? pray do tell.

On 30 May 2007 13:36:35 -0700, Martha wrote:

I requested a meter move from my supplier from inside the front door
to outside the front door.

I presume you mean into an external meter cabinet, and that your existing
supply is underground not overhead.

Following the survey we were told we would
need a new mains supply, which would require yet another survey and a
cost of £690- excludes the meter move (not yet quoted for !!) and the
electricians required.

Been there, done that had the arguments and got a refund, but I did work in
the industry for many years and knew exactly how the work *would* be done,
which wasn't what they insisted I paid for.

I have tried to no avail to get the supplier to explain why we need a
new mains supply (and indeed why we are responsible for paying for
this) as the house has an existing supply and we are not adding meters
(ie splitting into flats).

Ask them for a breakdown of their estimate.

Does anyone know of any situations as to
why we would potentially require a new mains supply in this
instance...?

The stock answer is health and safety. 'We'll have to dig down outside the
property, find the old service cable and joint a new piece of cable into
the new meter position.'

Except what really happens is that the guys who turn up will firstly try to
remove the old main fuse, tape up the end of the cable to make it safe and
try to withdraw the existing cable and feed it into the new meter position.

If your service cable is old (40+ years), it'll be armoured lead-sheathed
cable, and they won't be able to withdraw it and feed it into the new
cabinet. The cable isn't dangerous or worn out per se, just that it can't
be made safe and pulled around like that. If it's a modern pvc sheathed
cable then it quite possibly can, although that's no guarantee they will be
able to do it 'the easy way'.

Having said all of that, when you have the breakdown, you'll have to pay
the full price, but you watch the guys doing it and see if they are doing
the work according to the breakdown of costs. Don't challenge them,
however, take it with the office after they've done their work. The workers
might just stop doing the quick way and do it as per the estimate, IYSWIM.

--
the dot wanderer at tesco dot net