Meter installation

[Gone West]

I've had UK Power Networks pull the cable through and fit the main fuse. The meter installer is coming next week. I've now had an email to say I will need to show the installer an ICERT before he will fit the meter. I rang them up and they said not all installers want to see an ICERT but if they do and you don't have one they will leave and still be charged. My electrician mostly works on new developments and hasn't heard of an ICERT. Has anyone been asked for an ICERT before a meter will be fitted?

[Dee J]

What's generally required is an electrical installation certificate (dead tests only). Having your electrician on site eases the path too. Make sure bonding is in place for a full domestic install. Or that TT earthing has been set up for site supplies.

[Mr Punter]

We just had some meters fitted and they didn't even wire our tails in but they did wire in to a 100A breaker for us to connect to.  Better than having to remove the main fuse.

[ToughButterCup]

Folks, what's an ICERT?

6 hours ago, Dee J said:

What's generally required is an electrical installation certificate (dead tests only).

 

What are dead tests?  And what are  (is) TT earthing?

6 hours ago, Dee J said:

[...]  Or that TT earthing has been set up for site supplies.

 

I loathe electricity. I really loathe how stupid it makes me feel. Loathe it. Big time. Loathe it.

[MikeSharp01]

17 minutes ago, recoveringacademic said:

And what are  (is) TT earthing?

Its a type of earthing where you have your own earth rod banged into the ground close to the incoming Live and Neutral wires and between the those two and your own earth you have all you need. In other patterns you could have the Earth supplied by the electric company.

 

17 minutes ago, recoveringacademic said:

What are dead tests?

The tests done using the electricians test equipment that proves your circuits are fit to be connected up. If you are having the TT earth they will provide a measurement of the rods impedance (sounds and looks like a resistance reading but isn't).

 

6 hours ago, PeterStarck said:

The meter installer is coming next week.

This might be the same guy that did ours as he works for https://www.lowribeck.co.uk , services all the suppliers and lives in Whitstable - so not far away. All he wanted was to see the earth impedance(s) (we have both a rod the supplements - don't worry about this Ian, a PME supply from UKPN) and he checked the Garden Room wiring with a test plug.

 

Does this mean that the move in date will be pre XMAS @PeterStarck?

 

Edited November 24, 2017 by MikeSharp01

[Onoff]

23 minutes ago, recoveringacademic said:

Folks, what's an ICERT?

 

What are dead tests?  And what are  (is) TT earthing?

 

I loathe electricity. I really loathe how stupid it makes me feel. Loathe it. Big time. Loathe it.

 

ICERT is corporate speak for an Electrical Installation Certificate as laid out in BS7671 aka "the regs". 

 

You could do worse than buy / read this:

 

https://www.waterstones.com/book/17th-edition-iet-wiring-regulations-electric-wiring-for-domestic-installers/brian-scaddan/9781138848900

 

But if you only buy one book the this:

 

https://www.wiringregulations.net/part-p-building-regulations/amendment-3-2015

 

Easy reads.

[ProDave]

They don't like making a connection if there is nothing to connect to.  Even more so the meter monkeys

 

Up here SSE accept a mini CU with just one circuit feeding a site socket as a valid "installation" to make a connection, and an EIC for that with dead test results is all you need.

[PeterW]

Mine connected the meter with only the box in the cabinet next to it and a main switch that had no other connection. No certificates and no questions .... 

[Onoff]

God forbid there's ever a nationally adhered to standard for what's done by these companies. Some want red ducts, some want black. Some trial fitted meters with built in isolators then abandoned it as the shareholders were losing out! What the website/email/people on the phone ask for and the blokes on the tools do are often very different. Make their job easy with coffee, biscuits and parking for a start.

[Gone West]

@MikeSharp01 Our meter fitter is coming from SMS. I was told some fitters want to see the certificate, some don't. We'll probably move in when the heating oil runs out for the bungalow, if there aren't any problems with the house. Depends on the weather but we've got around two months worth left.

[Gone West]

The last time I did a complete rewire of a house was in the early 90s. It was so simple, SEEBoard fitted the supply cable and meter and connected in my CU tails. I told the engineers I had done the rewire to the latest IEE regs and they said not to worry as they were still working to a much older standard. Of course all the privatisation has done no end of good. We all have so much choice and it must lower costs because that's what they tell us. I always prefer chasing round after three companies instead of one, to get a job done and it's so much better for me to trawl through endless numbers of tariffs to find the cheapest. I solved that one by going to Good Energy where I have the option of one tariff, even if it does cost me more so I'm not for ever changing suppliers. Sorry for the rant, I can tell it's going to be a bad day today.

[Jeremy Harris]

14 hours ago, recoveringacademic said:

And what are  (is) TT earthing?

 

 

I did a bit on domestic earthing systems here some time ago: http://www.mayfly.eu/2017/01/domestic-electrical-installation-earthing-and-circuit-protection-part-1/ and here: http://www.mayfly.eu/2017/02/domestic-electrical-installation-earthing-and-circuit-protection-part-2/

[Jeremy Harris]

9 minutes ago, PeterStarck said:

The last time I did a complete rewire of a house was in the early 90s. It was so simple, SEEBoard fitted the supply cable and meter and connected in my CU tails. I told the engineers I had done the rewire to the latest IEE regs and they said not to worry as they were still working to a much older standard. Of course all the privatisation has done no end of good. We all have so much choice and it must lower costs because that's what they tell us. I always prefer chasing round after three companies instead of one, to get a job done and it's so much better for me to trawl through endless numbers of tariffs to find the cheapest. I solved that one by going to Good Energy where I have the option of one tariff, even if it does cost me more so I'm not for ever changing suppliers. Sorry for the rant, I can tell it's going to be a bad day today.

 

 

Sounds like my experience.  I've completely rewired two houses, and partially rewired three others, excluding any work on the new house.  It was all dead easy.  The first rewire was a new build that a friend was doing, and when it came time to get the meter installed I'd just left the tails sitting ready on the board (this pre-dates having meter boxes) for SWEB to connect up.  Their chap just turned up, installed the cable, company fuse and meter and connected the tails.  He never asked to see any bit of paper at all.

 

The second one was similar, except it turned out his son was an apprentice with SWEB and was one of my students, so we had a chat about that.  Again, no paperwork, just reconnect the supply that had been relocated during the rebuild of the farmhouse and that was that.

 

The partial rewires never involved anyone else.  I tested the installation (as I'd done with the previous two), but no one asked for any bits of paper. 

 

With our current old house I've been taking out additional wiring I've added over the years, and putting things back exactly as they were before we well it, as I just don't want the hassle of having to explain away why I have a garage with a dozen extra outlets, a separate CU with an RCD etc, so it's back to how it was, a light switch and a single double gang socket (with all my tools temporarily running on extension leads and a plug-in RCD..............).  The last thing I'll remove is my car charge point, as that was home installed from an existing outside power socket, which will get replaced as it was.

[Jeremy Harris]

1 hour ago, PeterStarck said:

@MikeSharp01 Our meter fitter is coming from SMS. I was told some fitters want to see the certificate, some don't. We'll probably move in when the heating oil runs out for the bungalow, if there aren't any problems with the house. Depends on the weather but we've got around two months worth left.

 

 

I had a Part P chit for the external wiring and the small CU and Henley and isolator switch that was installed when we had our meter installed.  The SSE chap didn't ask to see anything, though, so I may as well not have bothered.............

[Gone West]

As an update, a cheery Welsh chap turned up yesterday evening. We rigged up a light for him, gave him a cup of coffee and he fitted the meter. He didn't ask to see any paperwork and didn't ask any questions. It was all rather painless in the end, thank goodness.

[ProDave]

26 minutes ago, PeterStarck said:

As an update, a cheery Welsh chap turned up yesterday evening. We rigged up a light for him, gave him a cup of coffee and he fitted the meter. He didn't ask to see any paperwork and didn't ask any questions. It was all rather painless in the end, thank goodness.

I think that is how it is now.

 

Thinking back, the last time I was asked for an EIC on a new installation was when SSE (the DNO up here) made the connection and fitted the meter in one visit.

[Onoff]

The last time I had EDF come out their office were insisting it would be an am disconnect and a pm reconnect after I'd done my bit. Totally different story with the man on the ground. It was quicker for him to wait and chew the fat whilst I did my thing than come back later. I think it meant an early day for him too.