100a Isolation Switch Cost

[Deleted member 112675]

Hello Everyone

Despite buying electricians gloves, other ppe, 25mm tails and the switch itself I'd still rather it be done by someone a/ qualified and b/ has done it many times before. Only worse case would I consider c/ ....

Anyway, I guess there are some variables so maybe hard to get an approximate price but I'd have thought on my board surely it would be less than an hour's work to pull the main fuse and fit an isolator after the meter? Assuming there was no issue with the DNO (sse) which I think there wouldn't be for a NICEIC etc electrician, and assuming the existing tail lengths are plenty long enough out of the meter, how much would I be looking at? £200 ?

Also, since the work might involve taking the tails out of the existing CU and routing them to the new isolator, could the electrician we hired be obliged to shut down everything if he thought the CU was unsafe? That is actually my biggest fear with hiring anyone rather than doing myself.

 

[Deleted member 105166]

I think you need to readdress your biggest fear. If your installation were to warrant immediate isolation by a professional electrician, he/she may be saving you and your family’s lives. If you DIY you may learn the hard way. Have a word with your home insurer in the morning if in any doubt.

 

[Rodders099]

I’ve read the OP a few times now....and still can’t understand what on earth the question is

 

[Sparkie30]

Where about in London are you based?

 

[Sparkie30]

I’ve read the OP a few times now....and still can’t understand what on earth the question is

I think he wants an isolator after the meter but not sure he can do it himself i think ‍♂

 

[Andy78]

Why do you want an isolator fitted ?
You could try your energy supplier first for quotes for one fitted.

 

[Deleted account]

Get your local DNO to pull fuse if that’s what you want. Not sure on price as each area has a difference pricing structure.

 

[Deleted member 105166]

I think he wants to an isolator after the meter but not sure he can do it himself i think ‍♂

In fairness and mindful of not wanting to scare off a new member, despite his demonstrating intent to DIY by buying a load of stuff & PPE, credit to him for thinking better of attempting the work and coming to the forum for advice.

 

[Deleted member 112675]

SSE networks has said the electrician need to pull the fuse and then fit the isolator.

 

[MJPD29]

If your installation is dangerous you should turn it off yourself. And for God's sake don't take the tails out live

 

[Deleted account]

SSE networks has said the electrician need to pull the fuse and then fit the isolator.

Then the SSE are wrong as we cannot legally pull main fuses. Only the DNO’s and power supplier companies can do that.

 

[Deleted member 112675]

I was hoping to get an approx cost. I was assuming the work would be something like:

remove load
cut fuse carrier seals and remove carrier
move tails from CU into new 100a dp switch
fit new tails from output of switch into CU

As far as I know the existing installation is not dangerous but it is old. Most qualified electricians I'm sure are honest but there are probably plenty who are not.

 

[Deleted member 112675]

Then the SSE are wrong as we cannot legally pull main fuses. Only the DNO’s and power supplier companies can do that.

This was their reply just now. I have to say wrongly or rightly I'm more inclined to believe what they tell me.

Hi *****, thanks for getting in touch. We are the Distribution Network Operator and own the power lines outside as well as the cut out fuse at the property. Our equipment is all located before the meter and our engineers are not trained to work on the internal electrics at the property. A qualified electrician would be required to install an isolation switch, they would normally need to have NICEIC qualifications or this equivalent to ensure they are able to isolate the power at our fuse to complete this work. I hope this helps. -***

 

[Andy78]

Then the SSE are wrong as we cannot legally pull main fuses. Only the DNO’s and power supplier companies can do that.

SSE allow registered contractors to pull fuses and reseal. An enlightened view that is not shared by other DNOs as yet.

Information for electrical contractors - supply characteristics and earthing arrangements

Information for electrical contractors - supply characteristics and earthing arrangements

www.ssen.co.uk

 

[Deleted member 112675]

SSE allow registered contractors to pull fuses and reseal. An enlightened view that is not shared by other DNOs as yet.

Information for electrical contractors - supply characteristics and earthing arrangements

Information for electrical contractors - supply characteristics and earthing arrangements

www.ssen.co.uk

Thanks that's interesting. So only a subset of qualified electricians that have signed up to be a registered contractor can do it ?

How much are they likely to charge me ?

My guess is they'd charge me zero because they won't do it without wanting a load of other work including at least testing the existing installation and probably upgrading the consumer unit.

If that's the case, think I'll risk my life.

 

[Deleted account]

This was their reply just now. I have to say wrongly or rightly I'm more inclined to believe what they tell me.

Hi *****, thanks for getting in touch. We are the Distribution Network Operator and own the power lines outside as well as the cut out fuse at the property. Our equipment is all located before the meter and our engineers are not trained to work on the internal electrics at the property. A qualified electrician would be required to install an isolation switch, they would normally need to have NICEIC qualifications or this equivalent to ensure they are able to isolate the power at our fuse to complete this work. I hope this helps. -***

We can install a double pole isolator and attach (tails)cables from this isolator to the fuse board( consumer unit), but we cannot touch the=tails coming out of the meter. The supply company would have to pull main incoming fuse and connect the tails from meter into the double pole isolator.
We as electricians are not legally allowed to pull the main incoming fuse.

 

[Deleted account]

SSE allow registered contractors to pull fuses and reseal. An enlightened view that is not shared by other DNOs as yet.

Information for electrical contractors - supply characteristics and earthing arrangements

Information for electrical contractors - supply characteristics and earthing arrangements

www.ssen.co.uk

I take back my 2 previous posts as I didn’t know this was an option in some areas.

I have to say it’s aboutbtime this happened, unfortunately I suspect it’s not happening in most areas. It’s not available in my area in the south west.

 

[Taylortwocities]

they would normally need to have NICEIC qualifications

I think you may have misunderstood. There are no such things as “NICEIC qualifications.”
NICEIC is just the name of one of the electricians Competent Person Schemes.

 

[Risteard]

This was their reply just now. I have to say wrongly or rightly I'm more inclined to believe what they tell me.

It would be wrongly. It is an offence to interfere with the Supplier's equipment.

EDIT: I have read the comments that SSE are one of the very select few DNOs who authorise this.

 

[Strima]

Even with the correct training, tooling and PPE you still need to be MOCOPA registered to work on sealed supplies.

 

[Cid]

Change your energy supplier. Npower do it for free

 

[Lister1987]

Then the SSE are wrong we cannot legally pull main fuses. Only the DNO’s and power supplier companies can do that.

What's the reg/SI to back this as I'm sure it was removed in the latest edition

We as electricians are not legally allowed to pull the main incoming fuse.

As above, do we actually have it chapter & verse like they do with gas meters and The Gas Act?

 

[Wilko]

Hi - as you’ve found, the provision of a service isolator between the Meter and the Consumer Unit can be a bit confused. The fuse is owned by your DNO (SSE in your case). The meter is owned by your Supplier (folks who send you the bill). The meter tails linking the meter to the consumer unit are your property and responsibility but you are not permitted to touch the meter. So if the cables out of the meter need changing (insulation damaged, current rating too low for a new load etc) then usually your electricity supplier will need to be involved.

Depending on who is your electricity supplier this can be fast and cheap, or slow and expensive. I work in an area where SSE is the DNO and I get first rate assistance from their metering guys for Customers that buy electricity from them. The other suppliers make their own arrangements and so charges and delays are variable. Just my experience.

If you’d like to post a pic of your meter and cables I may be able to be more specific .

 

[Deleted account]

What's the reg/SI to back this as I'm sure it was removed in the latest edition


As above, do we actually have it chapter & verse like they do with gas meters and The Gas Act?

It’s not in our regs as our regs don’t cover that part of the installation. It’s part of the supplier regs.

The suppliers have there own set of regs that I am not privy to and not familiar with.

 

[davesparks]

Hello Everyone

Despite buying electricians gloves, other ppe, 25mm tails and the switch itself I'd still rather it be done by someone a/ qualified and b/ has done it many times before. Only worse case would I consider c/ ....

Anyway, I guess there are some variables so maybe hard to get an approximate price but I'd have thought on my board surely it would be less than an hour's work to pull the main fuse and fit an isolator after the meter? Assuming there was no issue with the DNO (sse) which I think there wouldn't be for a NICEIC etc electrician, and assuming the existing tail lengths are plenty long enough out of the meter, how much would I be looking at? £200 ?

Also, since the work might involve taking the tails out of the existing CU and routing them to the new isolator, could the electrician we hired be obliged to shut down everything if he thought the CU was unsafe? That is actually my biggest fear with hiring anyone rather than doing myself.

Why do you want this isolator in the first place?
Are you planning on a DIY consumer unit replacement? If so I would strongly recommend not doing this but having a qualified electrician who is registered with a part P scheme do this work for you. Otherwise you may be placing your life at risk along with the lives of everyone else in the property.

 

[Deleted member 112675]

Hi - as you’ve found, the provision of a service isolator between the Meter and the Consumer Unit can be a bit confused. The fuse is owned by your DNO (SSE in your case). The meter is owned by your Supplier (folks who send you the bill). The meter tails linking the meter to the consumer unit are your property and responsibility but you are not permitted to touch the meter. So if the cables out of the meter need changing (insulation damaged, current rating too low for a new load etc) then usually your electricity supplier will need to be involved.

Depending on who is your electricity supplier this can be fast and cheap, or slow and expensive. I work in an area where SSE is the DNO and I get first rate assistance from their metering guys for Customers that buy electricity from them. The other suppliers make their own arrangements and so charges and delays are variable. Just my experience.

If you’d like to post a pic of your meter and cables I may be able to be more specific .

Thanks. Very informative. Pic attached.

My DNO is SSE but my supplier is pretty awful about everything - TogetherEnergy. The existing cables out of the meter are in good condition and the load will not be increasing. They look the same size as my 25mm tails and the ones into the meter look bigger but I could be wrong.

I might look into NPower from the advice above - thanks whoever suggested that.

I also understand why you couldn't possibly engage with a random diyer on the internet on how to perform notifiable jobs and I wasn't expecting that. I did hope to get a ballpark price for fitting the isolator or at least to have it confirmed that nobody would take on such work.

(mcb on one of the 5a, 1mm circuits was removed at the time as I was changing a lightbulb....

 

[Cbuk2k2]

There's a contractor up our way approved by the DNO who will come out and fit a double pole isolator for about £60. Your completely legal and above board then. I've even had a DNO come out and do it for free in the past but they messed me about a fair but.

 

[Des 56]

What a palaver about fitting a isolator
Just as a comparison,if this were my job it would probably have been done in ten to twenty minutes
Maybe,make a decent offer on here with a price you are willing to pay and maybe some kind soul living local will oblige

 

[Cbuk2k2]

What a palaver about fitting a isolator
Just as a comparison,if this were my job it would probably have been done in ten to twenty minutes
Maybe,make a decent offer on here with a price you are willing to pay and maybe some kind soul living local will oblige

If you read the DNO terms of service its normally beach of contract to touch their equipment. Its also actually illegal interfere with DNO equipment. Why put yourself in the firing line if the customer can pay £60 and have an idolator fitted before you arive?

 

[Des 56]

If you read the DNO terms of service its normally beach of contract to touch their equipment. Its also actually illegal interfere with DNO equipment. Why put yourself in the firing line if the customer can pay £60 and have an idolator fitted before you arive?

I agreed with the £60 job when it was posted, but for me and regarding the suppliers equipment

I have fitted and will likely do so in the future scores of isolators without touching or interfering with any suppliers equipment
Its known as working live,it was once a task that did not cause consternation and anguish to those in the trade