Charge to install meter for TBS??

[Randomusername]

I recently made enquiries with EON with regard to installing meter to my TBS - by the time I spoke to the 4th person over 3 days, I finally managed to get someone who apparently knew what they are talking about. 
 

Complication apparently arose due to the fact that this will be a completely temporary supply, and will not be made into a permanent feed to a property when it is completed, but will instead be disconnected and removed. 
(There are reasons for this). 
 

They have now replied that “we are having a price change on Monday so I will get the quote to you Tuesday”. 
 

I’m surprised as I was not honestly expecting a charge to be made for fitting the meter!

 

Is this normal? Is it because they are treating the supply as a commercial and not a domestic arrangement? Are there any supply companies who will fit a TBS supply meter for free (after all they’re going to be charging me for the power for a couple of years...)

Edited December 11, 2020 by Randomusername

[PeterW]

The charge will be for the connection not the meter - is there a supply head already in place ..??

[ProDave]

If you are getting a new supply just for the build only for it not to be used for the new house, expect there to be a disconnection charge as well, they don't like unused but live supplies hanging around (I could tell a story about that)

 

So re think your logistics so the TBS becomes the permanent supply, or if there is an existing supply, that becomes your TBS instead.

[joe90]

Yes @ProDave is right, I had a temp supply on a post in a box right next to where it was going in a detached garage I was building and swung it in on my own and got a sparky to connect to the house wiring.

[Randomusername]

  On 11/12/2020 at 19:27, PeterW said:

The charge will be for the connection not the meter - is there a supply head already in place ..??

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WPD are installing the supply connection. 
 

The charge that Eon have referred to can only be related to installation of the meter. 

 

  On 11/12/2020 at 19:52, ProDave said:

If you are getting a new supply just for the build only for it not to be used for the new house, expect there to be a disconnection charge as well, they don't like unused but live supplies hanging around (I could tell a story about that)

 

So re think your logistics so the TBS becomes the permanent supply, or if there is an existing supply, that becomes your TBS instead.

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It’s not practical to install the permanent supplies at this point, unfortunately. 

[PeterW]

  On 12/12/2020 at 00:17, Randomusername said:

The charge that Eon have referred to can only be related to installation of the meter. 

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There are no meter installation charges for new connections, either for business or residential. Are you requesting they move the existing meter as you may be being quoted a meter move

charge. 
 

 

[Randomusername]

  On 12/12/2020 at 08:12, PeterW said:

There are no meter installation charges for new connections, either for business or residential. Are you requesting they move the existing meter as you may be being quoted a meter move

charge. 
 

 

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The site is former garden, there has not been an electrical connection in memory, other than where the former owners supply crossed through to the house next door. This has now been moved off my land. 
It’s definitely a new connection. 

[PeterW]

Ok so this is a new connection and there is no charge for a new meter - I would be interested to know what they think they are charging for. TBH I found eon to be the worst of the suppliers for meter connections  and once WP have given you the MPAN just ask any of the big 6 for a standard no contract tariff and meter install and then swap to whatever supplier you want to. 

[ProDave]

What SSE offer is a "building supply" where they install the supply onto the plot to a TBS cabinet, then at a later date come and move that same supply into the house when it is ready.

 

It is the DNO that makes that charge and if you have bought it as a building supply that covers the cost of moving it later.  I have never heard of the energy supplier charging to move a meter.  Try a different energy supplier.

 

Alternatively you can do what some of us have done, install a permanent supply box on the boundary of your plot and get the supply connected there.  Then when the house is build, leave the supply head and meter there, and run your own cable from that box to the house.

[PeterW]

  On 12/12/2020 at 09:12, ProDave said:

I have never heard of the energy supplier charging to move a meter. 

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Meter moves are chargeable by most suppliers, meter installs are not. I think it’s Eon not understanding the request and tbh the last one I did with them put me off using them ever again as they left me a voicemail with the wrong reference for the wrong site and then tried to charge me for a failed visit for a site 40 miles away .... 

[ProDave]

  On 12/12/2020 at 09:25, PeterW said:

Meter moves are chargeable by most suppliers, meter installs are not. I think it’s Eon not understanding the request and tbh the last one I did with them put me off using them ever again as they left me a voicemail with the wrong reference for the wrong site and then tried to charge me for a failed visit for a site 40 miles away .... 

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The last meter move I did, in the morning SSE turned up and moved the supply head into the now almost finished house.  The SSE guy decided to be "helpful" and he moved the meter as well.

 

So I connected the newly relocated meter to the new CU and started all my testing.

 

Later in the day the meter man tuned up and went balistic when he found the meter had already been moved and he would not believe me when I said it was the SSE guy wot did it.

[Randomusername]

I’ll ask for clarification of why they expect to charge me. 
 

I’m perhaps approaching this the wrong way - maybe I should instead insist that it is a new domestic supply for the caravan which I will be siting there in which I intend to live over the duration of the build...

[Randomusername]

CLARIFICATION RECEIVED - No charge to install meter. 
 

Hooray!

?

[Randomusername]

FFS... they can’t install until late Jan/Early Feb!

☹️

[Randomusername]

  On 15/12/2020 at 19:10, Randomusername said:

FFS... they can’t install until late Jan/Early Feb!

☹️

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SSE now booked for 29th December!

?

[Randomusername]

Worthy of note is how much easier it was to deal with SSE than it was with EON (so far anyway). 
For a start I only had to speak to one person, who I got through to straight away, and who seemed to know what he was talking about. 
 

I perhaps made the process easier by not getting mired down in the detail of what the connection was for - instead of emphasising that the connection is a temporary building supply, I (completely honestly) stated that it’s a new connection for a caravan in which I will be living.

The MPAN reference is for TBS when he looked it up on the database, so I’m not concealing the fact. But it seems better generally to be on a domestic arrangement, with the protections and choices that offers, than having a commercial metering agreement anyway?

[Randomusername]

WPD installed the cable and cutout two days ago, 4 men, one van, 3 cherry pickers - and they only needed to use a ladder for the connection to the pole!

 

All done very quickly and without issue. 
 

They did leave me a hockey stick but it was agreed that there was little point in installing it to a box on a pole - I’d left the ducting long on purpose so they just ran that up the post. 
It’s much less likely to get damaged than the hockey stick would have done...

 

New style Henley cutout - no Earth terminal, as was predicted...

 

 

[ProDave]

That round black  "plug" to the right of the fuse.  Does it unscrew or otherwise pop out?  If so it will give access tot he screws for the earth wire and there will be knock outs to the right of it.  At least that's how the old style cut outs work.

[Randomusername]

  On 25/12/2020 at 10:21, ProDave said:

That round black  "plug" to the right of the fuse.  Does it unscrew or otherwise pop out?  If so it will give access tot he screws for the earth wire and there will be knock outs to the right of it.  At least that's how the old style cut outs work.

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I imagine so, I didn’t investigate as I was keen to get off site before the rain!

[Randomusername]

Reposted photo with obscured identities as the photo was clearer than I expected, and I didn’t have specific consent to post...

[Randomusername]

  On 25/12/2020 at 10:21, ProDave said:

That round black  "plug" to the right of the fuse.  Does it unscrew or otherwise pop out?  If so it will give access tot he screws for the earth wire and there will be knock outs to the right of it.  At least that's how the old style cut outs work.

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@ProDave - see attachments

 

On a connected subject, SSE failed to turn up to fit the meter today - I’d taken a day off work so I’m furious. 
?

 

Edited December 29, 2020 by Randomusername

[djcdan]

  On 29/12/2020 at 18:31, Randomusername said:

On a connected subject, SSE failed to turn up to fit the meter today - I’d taken a day off work so I’m furious. 

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We requested our meter installation in June. We are five missed appointments in, countless phone calls and lies, have a decision from the Ombudsman that we must be treated as an emergency and still have no meter... Buckle in for the ride.

 

Avoid Scottish Power like the plague!

[ProDave]

  On 29/12/2020 at 18:31, Randomusername said:

@ProDave - see attachments

 

On a connected subject, SSE failed to turn up to fit the meter today - I’d taken a day off work so I’m furious. 
?

 

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Yes that's the PME earth terminal but don't use it until you connect to the house.

[Randomusername]

 

Meter is installed!