Currently with British Gas because we just moved in. Googling suggests BG charge 43+VAT and isolator, and anyway their fuel rates are expensive so I need to switch. Googling also suggests nPower charge nothing, but I've got a very old billing dispute with them, so I can't go there!

Anyone got any info on which other suppliers might do an isolator FOC?

On 31/10/2019 11:22, wrote:
Currently with British Gas because we just moved in. Googling suggests BG charge 43+VAT and isolator, and anyway their fuel rates are expensive so I need to switch. Googling also suggests nPower charge nothing, but I've got a very old billing dispute with them, so I can't go there!

Anyone got any info on which other suppliers might do an isolator FOC?


Personally I would tug the board fuse, move the CU meter tails from the
CU to the isolator and then install new tails from isolator to CU.

From previous experience, meter readesr/DNO operatives doesn't care if
main fuse seals are missing.

The other option is to purchase the isolator and cable, request a smart
meter and then offer beer tokens to the installer.

"John Kenyon" wrote in message
...
On 31/10/2019 11:22, wrote:
Currently with British Gas because we just moved in. Googling suggests
BG charge 43+VAT and isolator, and anyway their fuel rates are expensive
so I need to switch. Googling also suggests nPower charge nothing, but
I've got a very old billing dispute with them, so I can't go there!

Anyone got any info on which other suppliers might do an isolator FOC?


Personally I would tug the board fuse, move the CU meter tails from the
CU to the isolator and then install new tails from isolator to CU.

From previous experience, meter readesr/DNO operatives doesn't care if
main fuse seals are missing.

The other option is to purchase the isolator and cable, request a smart
meter and then offer beer tokens to the installer.

+1 re fuse seals - ours were missing when we moved in 12 years ago, and
since then no-one has commented or complained. I believe that unofficially
they would much rather have the seals cut than have an accident from someone
working live.

Charles F

John Kenyon wrote:
On 31/10/2019 11:22, wrote:
Currently with British Gas because we just moved in. Googling suggests
BG charge 43+VAT and isolator, and anyway their fuel rates are expensive
so I need to switch. Googling also suggests nPower charge nothing, but
I've got a very old billing dispute with them, so I can't go there!

Anyone got any info on which other suppliers might do an isolator FOC?


Personally I would tug the board fuse, move the CU meter tails from the
CU to the isolator and then install new tails from isolator to CU.

From previous experience, meter readesr/DNO operatives doesn't care if
main fuse seals are missing.

Yes, when I moved/changed our consumer units a few years ago I did
this and the seal has never been replaced.

--
Chris Green
·

On 31/10/2019 18:56, Chris Green wrote:
John Kenyon wrote:
On 31/10/2019 11:22, wrote:
Currently with British Gas because we just moved in. Googling suggests
BG charge 43+VAT and isolator, and anyway their fuel rates are expensive
so I need to switch. Googling also suggests nPower charge nothing, but
I've got a very old billing dispute with them, so I can't go there!

Anyone got any info on which other suppliers might do an isolator FOC?


Personally I would tug the board fuse, move the CU meter tails from the
CU to the isolator and then install new tails from isolator to CU.

From previous experience, meter readesr/DNO operatives doesn't care if
main fuse seals are missing.

Yes, when I moved/changed our consumer units a few years ago I did
this and the seal has never been replaced.


Done it thousands of times (cut the seal not fitted thousands of isolators).

A Wylex REC2 isolator is £12.99 from ToolStation but the OP can have the
unused one I have for P&P. I can even throw in some new meter tails if
required.



--
Adam

What is the point of an isolator. Some time ago the tech guy round checking
for meter dates told me that most meters these days, from the one with the
blinking lights onwards, have had to have an always on supply, though I did
point out that in a power cut it could hardly have one!

Brian

--
----- --
This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...

Blind user, so no pictures please
Note this Signature is meaningless.!
"John Kenyon" wrote in message
...
On 31/10/2019 11:22, wrote:
Currently with British Gas because we just moved in. Googling suggests
BG charge 43+VAT and isolator, and anyway their fuel rates are expensive
so I need to switch. Googling also suggests nPower charge nothing, but
I've got a very old billing dispute with them, so I can't go there!

Anyone got any info on which other suppliers might do an isolator FOC?


Personally I would tug the board fuse, move the CU meter tails from the
CU to the isolator and then install new tails from isolator to CU.

From previous experience, meter readesr/DNO operatives doesn't care if
main fuse seals are missing.

The other option is to purchase the isolator and cable, request a smart
meter and then offer beer tokens to the installer.

Brian Gaff (Sofa) wrote:

What is the point of an isolator.

For safety when doing any future work on the installation (new consumer
unit, splitting tails with henley blocks etc).

On Thursday, 31 October 2019 20:38:50 UTC, Brian Gaff (Sofa) wrote:
What is the point of an isolator. Some time ago the tech guy round checking
for meter dates told me that most meters these days, from the one with the
blinking lights onwards, have had to have an always on supply, though I did
point out that in a power cut it could hardly have one!

Smart meters "phone home" on battery backup if there's a power cut. If only one meter phones home then it's treated as a tamper alert, and on the electrician's forum there are several reports of the DNO turning up quickly suspecting people are trying to fiddle the meter.

Owain

On 31/10/2019 20:46, wrote:
On Thursday, 31 October 2019 20:38:50 UTC, Brian Gaff (Sofa) wrote:
What is the point of an isolator. Some time ago the tech guy round checking
for meter dates told me that most meters these days, from the one with the
blinking lights onwards, have had to have an always on supply, though I did
point out that in a power cut it could hardly have one!

Smart meters "phone home" on battery backup if there's a power cut. If only one meter phones home then it's treated as a tamper alert, and on the electrician's forum there are several reports of the DNO turning up quickly suspecting people are trying to fiddle the meter.



Not been caught out yet.


But there is no need to remove the meter covers (which might activate a
phone home call).

Pull the fuse. Cut the meter tails to match the isolator, install
isolator and fit new tails between the isolator and the CU.

I do not believe that pulling a fuse causes a phone home.





--
Adam

On Thu, 31 Oct 2019 17:00:36 +0000, John Kenyon wrote:

On 31/10/2019 11:22, wrote:
Currently with British Gas because we just moved in. Googling suggests
BG charge 43+VAT and isolator, and anyway their fuel rates are
expensive so I need to switch. Googling also suggests nPower charge
nothing, but I've got a very old billing dispute with them, so I can't
go there!

Anyone got any info on which other suppliers might do an isolator FOC?


Personally I would tug the board fuse, move the CU meter tails from the
CU to the isolator and then install new tails from isolator to CU.

From previous experience, meter readesr/DNO operatives doesn't care if
main fuse seals are missing.

Exactly what I did some years ago. Being very careful with the board fuse
as it was quite old.

--
My posts are my copyright and if @diy_forums or Home Owners' Hub
wish to copy them they can pay me £1 a message.
Use the BIG mirror service in the UK: http://www.mirrorservice.org
*lightning surge protection* - a w_tom conductor

ARW wrote:

I do not believe that pulling a fuse causes a phone home.

Weren't you a bit worried about TMH's daughter's meter?

On 31/10/2019 11:22, wrote:
Currently with British Gas because we just moved in. Googling suggests BG charge 43+VAT and isolator, and anyway their fuel rates are expensive so I need to switch. Googling also suggests nPower charge nothing, but I've got a very old billing dispute with them, so I can't go there!

Anyone got any info on which other suppliers might do an isolator FOC?


Eon recently fitted a new Henley block FOC - but only because it was
deemed necessary for a smart meter. Which I apparently agreed to when I
switched to them. I'll switch again when I'm out of their commitment
period as they're no longer competitive.

All that said, I can't see how I can isolate the supply. They replaced
the previous ancient switch box with this:

https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B0zGI9HKKGKjJjH

How is possible to isolate the supply from there?

--
Cheers, Rob

RJH wrote:

Eon recently fitted a new Henley block FOC

https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B0zGI9HKKGKjJjH

That isn't a henley block, it's a cutout that happens to be manufactured
by henley.

On Thursday, October 31, 2019 at 8:11:01 PM UTC, ARW wrote:
On 31/10/2019 18:56, Chris Green wrote:
John Kenyon wrote:
On 31/10/2019 11:22, wrote:
Currently with British Gas because we just moved in. Googling suggests
BG charge 43+VAT and isolator, and anyway their fuel rates are expensive
so I need to switch. Googling also suggests nPower charge nothing, but
I've got a very old billing dispute with them, so I can't go there!

Anyone got any info on which other suppliers might do an isolator FOC?


Personally I would tug the board fuse, move the CU meter tails from the
CU to the isolator and then install new tails from isolator to CU.

From previous experience, meter readesr/DNO operatives doesn't care if
main fuse seals are missing.

Yes, when I moved/changed our consumer units a few years ago I did
this and the seal has never been replaced.


Done it thousands of times (cut the seal not fitted thousands of isolators).

A Wylex REC2 isolator is £12.99 from ToolStation but the OP can have the
unused one I have for P&P. I can even throw in some new meter tails if
required.

Thanks for the offer, but the installation is somewhat old and I am disinclined to touch any of it unnecessarily.

I've booked British Gas to do it, they charged me £31.42 which is a no-brainer for me. It's going to take bloody ages for them to come round (January 2020!), but we moved in this week, so there is no shortage of stuff for me to get done before then.

First priority looks like the socket in the kitchen where I plugged my laptop in, and rapidly unplugged it because the socket was crackling. Flush mounted with the tiles, and grouted in, of course.

On 01/11/2019 08:07, Andy Burns wrote:
ARW wrote:

I do not believe that pulling a fuse causes a phone home.

Weren't you a bit worried about TMH's daughter's meter?

Not really. You learn when not to worry.

When they came to swap the meter they knew straight away what had
happened and were not bothered. I was worried about her partner removing
the bypass meter leads as he is not good with electricity.

The illegal secondary unmetered electricity supply to a house caused a
lot of grief when the ground workers chopped though it with their
digger. I only got away with that by the skin of my teeth by some clever
thinking and an apprentice who was a genius at hiding the illegal cut
out in an empty house.



--
Adam

On 01/11/2019 13:57, wrote:
On Thursday, October 31, 2019 at 8:11:01 PM UTC, ARW wrote:
On 31/10/2019 18:56, Chris Green wrote:
John Kenyon wrote:
On 31/10/2019 11:22, wrote:
Currently with British Gas because we just moved in. Googling suggests
BG charge 43+VAT and isolator, and anyway their fuel rates are expensive
so I need to switch. Googling also suggests nPower charge nothing, but
I've got a very old billing dispute with them, so I can't go there!

Anyone got any info on which other suppliers might do an isolator FOC?


Personally I would tug the board fuse, move the CU meter tails from the
CU to the isolator and then install new tails from isolator to CU.

From previous experience, meter readesr/DNO operatives doesn't care if
main fuse seals are missing.

Yes, when I moved/changed our consumer units a few years ago I did
this and the seal has never been replaced.


Done it thousands of times (cut the seal not fitted thousands of isolators).

A Wylex REC2 isolator is £12.99 from ToolStation but the OP can have the
unused one I have for P&P. I can even throw in some new meter tails if
required.

Thanks for the offer, but the installation is somewhat old and I am disinclined to touch any of it unnecessarily.

I've booked British Gas to do it, they charged me £31.42 which is a no-brainer for me. It's going to take bloody ages for them to come round (January 2020!), but we moved in this week, so there is no shortage of stuff for me to get done before then.

First priority looks like the socket in the kitchen where I plugged my laptop in, and rapidly unplugged it because the socket was crackling. Flush mounted with the tiles, and grouted in, of course.




We expect photo of how you solve it!

BTW I'll now make the offer of a REC2 isolator and meter tails to any
poster that asks for them with the same terms and conditions (ie P&P only)

--
Adam

On Fri, 1 Nov 2019 19:00:42 +0000, ARW wrote:

an apprentice who was a genius

??!! - come on!
--
Peter.
The gods will stay away
whilst religions hold sway

On 01/11/2019 13:56, Andy Burns wrote:
RJH wrote:

Eon recently fitted a new Henley block FOC
https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B0zGI9HKKGKjJjH

That isn't a henley block, it's a cutout that happens to be manufactured
by henley.


OK, thanks. But is it an isolator? If so, I can't see how I'm supposed
to isolate the main fuse box.


--
Cheers, Rob

RJH wrote:

is it an isolator? If so, I can't see how I'm supposed
to isolate the main fuse box.

No, it isn't, you'd have to cut the seal and pull the fuse, but at least
a shiny new cutout is unlikely to disintegrate in your hands.

On Friday, 1 November 2019 19:06:44 UTC, ARW wrote:
BTW I'll now make the offer of a REC2 isolator and meter tails

red/black or brown/blue ;-)

Owain

On 01/11/2019 13:51, RJH wrote:
On 31/10/2019 11:22, wrote:
Currently with British Gas because we just moved in.Â* Googling
suggests BG charge 43+VAT and isolator, and anyway their fuel rates
are expensive so I need to switch. Googling also suggests nPower
charge nothing, but I've got a very old billing dispute with them, so
I can't go there!

Anyone got any info on which other suppliers might do an isolator FOC?


Eon recently fitted a new Henley block FOC - but only because it was
deemed necessary for a smart meter. Which I apparently agreed to when I
switched to them. I'll switch again when I'm out of their commitment
period as they're no longer competitive.

All that said, I can't see how I can isolate the supply. They replaced
the previous ancient switch box with this:

https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B0zGI9HKKGKjJjH

How is possible to isolate the supply from there?


I like the 100A fused incomer and the 40A max rated meter!

Andy Bennet wrote:

I like the 100A fused incomer and the 40A max rated meter!
I think the carrier comes with a 100A sticker, without any fuse fitted,
so you'd need to pull it to be sure ...

On 02/11/2019 10:20, wrote:
On Friday, 1 November 2019 19:06:44 UTC, ARW wrote:
BTW I'll now make the offer of a REC2 isolator and meter tails

red/black or brown/blue ;-)



It's the older REC2, as for the tails you would have to wait for a strip
out.


--
Adam

On 02/11/2019 09:07, PeterC wrote:
On Fri, 1 Nov 2019 19:00:42 +0000, ARW wrote:

an apprentice who was a genius

??!! - come on!


At hiding things, he cannot do a two way switch.

He hid it in the loft under the insulation right in the eaves.

--
Adam

On Friday, November 1, 2019 at 7:06:44 PM UTC, ARW wrote:
On 01/11/2019 13:57, wrote:
First priority looks like the socket in the kitchen where I plugged my laptop in, and rapidly unplugged it because the socket was crackling. Flush mounted with the tiles, and grouted in, of course.

We expect photo of how you solve it!

A carpet blade on a Stanley knife worked really well for getting the grout out. Opened up, and found 5 (five!) cables in the backbox. Ring main, one spur, and who knows what for the other two cables crimped together.

Tried to replace socket but my only spare had L and N reversed, and not enough slack in the wires. So put the old one back together, tightened up carefully, and gave it one more go. Only this time, the nearest thing was the sandwich toaster (more current). Whoops. That was stupid. Not crackling so much as smoking. Not good.

Turn off, disassemble, identify the socket as the smokey bit, replace socket with my spare and L&N swapped (it's now 10pm, so not much choice) and stick dire warnings about reversed polarity on the front about using it. Disassemble old socket, yup, the switch has something in it. Probably carbonised spider or something.

Starting to feel I might need to get the DB with RCDs sorted out before January. Not that it does much for burnt out switches, but still.

Puzzling over what to do about the 2.5mm T&E running outside feeding the annex, the shed, the ponds, the summerhouse, and eventually what I want to be the workshop - 50 metres away! Evidence of using hosepipe as conduit. I haven't had time to look at how many sequential RCD sockets are involved, but the answer is both not enough and too many.

I haven't done the sums yet, and I'm not planning on running anything more powerful than a drill for a good while, but I suspect I'll need to disconnect the bits where the cable runs underground anyway, on the grounds that it's almost certainly not been done properly and is a code 2, before I sort out the DB..