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Original poster

Moving an Electricity Meters

40 replies

NextDoor2017 · 26/09/2017 10:16

Has anybody done this before?
I am looking to move mine and my neighbour's (with his permission) electric meter out of our hallway to the exterior of our house.
Is this easy to do? Who would I call? And how much would it cost?

Any advice would be appreciated.
TIA Smile

OP posts:
QuinionsRainbow · 26/09/2017 10:43

I'd start with your electricity supplier.

PigletJohn · 26/09/2017 11:01

don't tell them you want it moved. Say "I am often away from the house so it is difficult for your meter reader. Would you like to move it outside?"

PigletJohn · 26/09/2017 11:02

the call centre may not know what to do, so send the shortest letter possible and it will get logged and passed along.

Original poster
NextDoor2017 · 26/09/2017 11:39

Thank you, this is really useful.
What my neighbour really wants is a smart meter. We googled what a smart meter was and it seems very small and looked like the kind of meter you'd have in your home, not outside a building.
Is this a case?
Also, I know that my electricity supplier has said they want to fit me with a smart meter, but my neighbour said that his electricity supplier had said no to a smart meter when he enquired about it.

OP posts:
QuinionsRainbow · 26/09/2017 22:43

We've just had smart meters fitted. Both were installed in exactly the same location as their predecessors. They are both the same size, the gas meter being a bit smaller than the old one, the electricity meter a bit bigger. The display, which (currently) sits on the kitchen worktop, is about the size of a smart-phone and needs either plugging into the mains or a set of AAA batteries..

Alicetherabbit · 27/09/2017 06:43

Following as I want mine moved to

mimiholls · 27/09/2017 06:49

Everyone's entitled to have a smart metre fitted as per the government scheme. You need to contact your electricity supplier to do this and it would be fitted inside the home. We have had our metre and circuit board (is that what you mean?) moved to another location within the house. It wasn't very far so a smaller job to a complete relocation. Done through an electrician and cost about £400 but they also upgraded the circuit board.

Ifailed · 27/09/2017 06:49

before you get a smart meter, make sure it doesn't tie you in with your current suppliers otherwise you can't switch, or you can but need to pay for new meters to be installed.

specialsubject · 27/09/2017 09:10

Current smart meters don't stay smart if you switch suppliers.

The front end ( the cutesy display) isn't the whole meter.

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 27/09/2017 09:13

Be prepared to be shocked at the cost, it's a lot irrc!

Original poster
NextDoor2017 · 27/09/2017 18:15

Hmmmm, bit confused now. Confused
It's not the circuit board I want moving, but the actual meter that you read, which is why I didn't think i would contact an electrician. And, i don't think the meter could belong to the electricity supplier (as suppliers can change).
One thing I'm sure of, it's that I'm going to to pay ££££

OP posts:
ShovellerDuck · 27/09/2017 19:16

I asked if a smart meter would do away with the jumble of ancient equipment (much of it Bakerlite) in my cupboard. I was told no, they would only add the smart meter, not take anything away nor move it.

specialsubject · 27/09/2017 19:16

It doesn't belong to the supplier but to the distributor, which is area dependent. However according to citizens advice, if the meter is moving less than one metre (100 cm) the supplier does it. Otherwise it is the distributor, ££££££.

Blowninonabreeze · 27/09/2017 19:23

I've done this. As part of an extension.

Our builder organised most of it but I know the basic details.... we had to get western power out to do a site survey. They then agreed to the move ( then 7 week wait for a date) (NBC western power are not our supplier - they weren't involved- they are responsible for the local grid)

On the day itself it was pretty straight forward.

Costs involved : to western power £650 To builder who excavated existing power supply and had it ready for western power £300

Original poster
NextDoor2017 · 27/09/2017 20:02

Blowinonabreeze Thanks for the info and the costs as well.
Didn't realise I might need a builder to excavate, so will factor that in to my costs too.
Thanks again Smile

OP posts:
Blowninonabreeze · 27/09/2017 20:16

You may well not need one. Our meter was on an internal wall and was to be moved to outside the back door. It was part of a much bigger job, because the wall it was situated on was going to be demolished.

Hopefully yours will be simpler.

jigster01 · 28/09/2017 08:11

We've just had this done too ...meter was in downstairs loo with no sink and as we were doing extension wanted loo all fitted out properly...phoned npower who are the only ones able to move their cables and after site visit was quoted @£1600 for them to dig around 6m from front door where cable came in to property into alleyway to lay cable but they do not back fill the trench ...it would be £900 if trench was done by third party so we opted for that as builder was on site and would not charge that amount !
You have to then phone eon (your supplier as they are the only ones who can move/ attach the new meter ..it all had to be done on the same-day so you don't lose power so npower came between 8-2 ,eon 1-5 ..it was perfect as they followed each other ..you have to have your electrician there on the day to then connect the supply to your fuseboard...I was dreading it as timings had to be right but my builder was there and npower were fantastic great customer service if there was any worries or questions ..
I tried as piglet said to see if eon could install meter without paying anything out but they are not to touch your cables ..

jigster01 · 28/09/2017 08:16

Annoyingly the new meter was going on exactly the same wall ,same place outside so we asked couldn't we just use the cable that was already in the house and put a corner joint attached to new meter , they said you can't use corner joints so had to dig 5m vertically alongside existing cable outside but it was with it .. obviously didn't have to pay anything to eon and we had smart mete installed ....sorry that was a long post !!!

jigster01 · 28/09/2017 08:17

That's meant to say 'it was worth it '

jigster01 · 28/09/2017 08:24

Sorry ..that should say ukpower...( distributer of electric in my area)

guilty100 · 28/09/2017 11:40

Sorry, I'm confused: when you get a smart meter, you are locked into the same supplier forever?!

Lesley1980 · 28/09/2017 11:47

When we bought our house the electricity meter & fuse box were underneath a sink in the downstairs toilet the previous owner had added. The power company quoted £4400 to move the box. This included digging a hole in the road.

Ifailed · 28/09/2017 12:13

Sorry, I'm confused: when you get a smart meter, you are locked into the same supplier forever?!

No, but most smart meters are peculiar to the supplier, if you want to switch it may not work with your new supplier, so you have to pay for a new one.

see www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/markets/article-3396508/Are-energy-firms-using-new-smart-meters-stop-switching-new-device-installed-time-change-suppliers.html

guilty100 · 28/09/2017 12:18

Thanks Ifailed. I I am on a collective tariff, so I change my supplier every 2 years. Sounds like this would be absolutely useless for me!

Ifailed · 28/09/2017 17:03

guilty100

Apparently, type 2 smart meters come out in October, which are switchable. Which beggars the question why these weren't installed in the first place, someone is making a lot of money out of this and I'm sure its not the consumer.