Life is a (British) Gas

[sparksburnout]

Got a call from a local guy this week, said he is getting a fishy smell when using his shower. Went to have a look, had got 25mm tails from his main CU along with a pair of 6mm singles (with a few strands chopped off both tails) going to a separate Wylex 3036 jammed into the outgoing side of the old style analogue meter. The terminations at the meter were covered in a big black mess of charred insulation and the meter casing was in a right state. No main earth, no bonding, main CU also an old Wylex. Gave him a list of things to sort out, starting with a new meter from supplier (British Gas), followed by a visit from WPD for a PME and isolator so that his other problems could be addressed, advised that he forgot about the shower for the meantime.
BG then told him we have nobody available until next week. I told him to impress upon them it was a fire risk and needed doing urgently. So, guy from BG eventually drags his --- round, puts in new digital meter, connects outgoing tails into new henley blocks, terminates both CU's into them using existing tails and says "there you go pal, everything should be fine now"
Customer now thinks I am talking bullox and says "I will get back to you if I have any more problems". No main earth, no RCD to (newly connected) shower, no bonding. "Looking after your world"?? I don't think so.

 

[stidge]

Well ****in well !!! Can't say I'm surprised mate

 

[stevethesparks]

And at the other end of the scale, a property I visited today has the card as below left with the householder

And yet

Their wording is out of date also.
Good old BG

 

[amlu]

DNO will look after the supply cable, cutout.
Energy supplier taking care of their meter and tails up to the henley block.
And from there is customers responsibility, including the earthing, rcd, etc...

dude swapping the meter may not be electrician at all, his job is to change the meters, thats it...

 

[Risteard]

Their wording is out of date also.

Indeed. It's a bit retro 16th Edition speak lol

 

[sparksburnout]

DNO will look after the supply cable, cutout.
Energy supplier taking care of their meter and tails up to the henley block.
And from there is customers responsibility, including the earthing, rcd, etc...

dude swapping the meter may not be electrician at all, his job is to change the meters, thats it...

I know that and agree with you, but the thing that annoyed me was the "Everything's OK now mate" comment made to the customer, more or less inferring that I was overdramatising things.

 

[rolyberkin]

Got a call from a local guy this week, said he is getting a fishy smell when using his shower. Went to have a look, had got 25mm tails from his main CU along with a pair of 6mm singles (with a few strands chopped off both tails) going to a separate Wylex 3036 jammed into the outgoing side of the old style analogue meter. The terminations at the meter were covered in a big black mess of charred insulation and the meter casing was in a right state. No main earth, no bonding, main CU also an old Wylex. Gave him a list of things to sort out, starting with a new meter from supplier (British Gas), followed by a visit from WPD for a PME and isolator so that his other problems could be addressed, advised that he forgot about the shower for the meantime.
BG then told him we have nobody available until next week. I told him to impress upon them it was a fire risk and needed doing urgently. So, guy from BG eventually drags his --- round, puts in new digital meter, connects outgoing tails into new henley blocks, terminates both CU's into them using existing tails and says "there you go pal, everything should be fine now"
Customer now thinks I am talking bullox and says "I will get back to you if I have any more problems". No main earth, no RCD to (newly connected) shower, no bonding. "Looking after your world"?? I don't think so.

Did you charge him for the call out and advice?

 

[sparksburnout]

Did you charge him for the call out and advice?

No I'm a soft dollop like that, probably should have done but I get loads of work via word of mouth in my smallish community and I think it benefits you in other ways sometimes. Guy was obviously not flush either. I just looked in on my way home he's literally down the road, took 5 mins. Would you?

 

[rolyberkin]

No I'm a soft dollop like that, probably should have done but I get loads of work via word of mouth in my smallish community and I think it benefits you in other ways sometimes. Guy was obviously not flush either. I just looked in on my way home he's literally down the road, took 5 mins. Would you?

I'm no shining example in this area, I changed three light switches and a shower pull cord last week, I didn't charge for labour thinking that the friend would give me a drink, I ended up with £5! However I am a trainee and am just trying to
get a bit of experience under my belt!

 

[Marvo]

I'm no shining example in this area, I changed three light switches and a shower pull cord last week, I didn't charge for labour thinking that the friend would give me a drink, I ended up with £5! However I am a trainee and am just trying to
get a bit of experience under my belt!

This is an important part of learning for a trainee. Jobs you do as a favour are invariably the jobs that turn out to be more involved than you first think plus they usually come back to haunt you one way or another. Also if you work for free once they expect it in future and gawd help you the day you actually try to give them a bill for something..

 

[rolyberkin]

This is an important part of learning for a trainee. Jobs you do as a favour are invariably the jobs that turn out to be more involved than you first think plus they usually come back to haunt you one way or another. Also if you work for free once they expect it in future and gawd help you the day you actually try to give them a bill for something..

Noted!;-)

 

[ruston]

This is an important part of learning for a trainee. Jobs you do as a favour are invariably the jobs that turn out to be more involved than you first think plus they usually come back to haunt you one way or another. Also if you work for free once they expect it in future and gawd help you the day you actually try to give them a bill for something..

Particularly in a pub . or other small commercial premisses.