Meter cupboard screwed up.

[seasickstevie]

Landlord of a house I'm working in has instructed the joiner to screw up the door on the electric cupboard, containing meter & consumer unit, so that "no-one can mess with the electrics".

If the meter reader comes around, not sure what will happen.
If the RCD trips for any reason, the tenant will have to go out and buy a screwdriver.

I'm sure there's a logic there, but I don't get it, and I reckon the Means of Isolation requirements will be compromised.

 

[Iggifer]

well I suppose at least the 'electrical connections require a tool or key to access' reg 411.1.x or 416.2.x, don't remember which specifically it is.

I would have thought a key/lock would be more appropriate!

 

[ericmark]

513.1 Except for a joint in cables where Section 526 allows such a joint to be inaccessible. every item of equipment shall be arranged so as to facilitate its operation, inspection and maintenance and access to each connection. Such facility shall not be significantly impaired by mounting equipment in an enclosure or a compartment.

529.3 Provision shall be made for safe and adequate access to all parts of a wiring system which may maintenance.
NOTE: In some situations. it may be necessary to provide permanent means of access by ladders, walkways, etc.

Personally I would say putting a RCD where it can't be reset is daft. This has been done with many caravan sites but after the owners have been called out at 2 am a few times it quickly changes. Without power a house is considered as uninhabitable so the tenant could move into a hotel and send the bill to the landlord which clearly is not what the landlord wants. It will need a number to call in the case of emergency to get power restored. Remember in winter power cut also means no heat.

 

[westie101]

And of course if a problem occurs with, say, an overheating connection. The whole lot could catch fire as there is no means of quickly reducing load by switching CUs or main switches to off

 

[ban-all-sheds]

... joiner ... electric cupboard ...

Are they allowed to be made of flammable materials, like wood?

 

[OwainDIYer]

Without power a house is considered as uninhabitable so the tenant could move into a hotel and send the bill to the landlord which clearly is not what the landlord wants. It will need a number to call in the case of emergency to get power restored. Remember in winter power cut also means no heat.

No power also means no power to smoke detectors, and backup batteries or capacitors will run down fairly quickly.

The tenant also has the right to change electricity supplier, which may involve a new meter, or to change to/from a prepayment meter to a credit meter.

I would suggest you or the joiner refuse to screw up the cupboard. It's you or him who will be facing a coroner's court if anything really bad happens. If you fit a lock then it's the landlord's responsibility to decide whether to give the that key to the tenant. (Although if the tenant is renting the whole house that means the whole house, so the tenant would be justified in breaking the lock to gain access to the cupboard.)

 

[seasickstevie]

... if the tenant is renting the whole house that means the whole house, so the tenant would be justified in breaking the lock to gain access to the cupboard.

That's probably a very good point.

... joiner ... electric cupboard ...

Are they allowed to be made of flammable materials, like wood?

It's always been the case. I'm not aware the rules have changed.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Landlord of a house I'm working in has instructed the joiner to screw up the door on the electric cupboard, containing meter & consumer unit,

What's the CU made of?

 

[seasickstevie]

What's the CU made of?

It's a new Schneider Square D plastic.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Do they claim non-flammability for it?

 

[seasickstevie]

Er ... I've just remembered, no, it's a Crabtree ... definitely NOT non-flammable

(if that's good grammar)