Replace Consumer Unit - Professional Advice Required

[oldbutnotdead]

Thanks mattylad, but I've just checked with my energy supplier (Bulb.co.uk) and they will come and fit an isolator switch for £120 or better still, only £60 if I agree to have my meters (gas & electric) swapped for smart meters at the same time.

I have so far resisted changing to smart meters but this seems like a good deal. Once the new isolator switch is in, it will be much simpler to connect the new consumer unit using ordinary tails.

Be wary here- the energy supplier 'engineer' may turn tail and flee when he sees that bit of MI. I'd suggest buying 3m tails before he turns up (get them from somewhere that does returns in case you get lucky and he has some on the van) and be prepared for new tails in the existing CU.

 

[chivers67]

I'd definitely think this is more than 3 hours work given how this installation looks! Three stories too, lots of walking up & down stairs testing various circuit cabling.

 

[Adam_151]

Be wary here- the energy supplier 'engineer' may turn tail and flee when he sees that bit of MI. I'd suggest buying 3m tails before he turns up (get them from somewhere that does returns in case you get lucky and he has some on the van) and be prepared for new tails in the existing CU.

I don't think there is a chance in hell of the meter fitter putting new tails into the board, fleeing and chucking job back is the most likely, but the if the OP says he will deal with getting someone out to tail up the board and is willing to accept being left with no power, then they might fit meter and isolator and leave outgoing side for someone else to do. He might even get really lucky and find they move the old meter up a little and stick the MI cores in a henley and put 8 inches of tails to the new iso, but my money is on fleeing!

 

[winston1]

Thanks mattylad, but I've just checked with my energy supplier (Bulb.co.uk) and they will come and fit an isolator switch for £120 or better still, only £60 if I agree to have my meters (gas & electric) swapped for smart meters at the same time.

I have so far resisted changing to smart meters but this seems like a good deal. Once the new isolator switch is in, it will be much simpler to connect the new consumer unit using ordinary tails.

It is not a good deal at all. It is a bribe and should be rejected.
If you buy the isolator it would probably be fitted free with a so called smart meter.

 

[sparkwright]

Winston has a point here.

What CAN happen is they fit the new meter, and include the the isolator - and will do this if the electrician isn't there when they are...

 

[JohnW2]

If you buy the isolator it would probably be fitted free with a so called smart meter.

There could be an 'insurance'/Jobsworth issue.

When I had an isolator fitted (without charge) at the time of a (dumb) meter change, I offered the guy a brand new/unused Wylex isolator (still in its box) which I happened to have on my shelf, but he said that he "wasn't allowed to use something he hadn't supplied" - so, instead, got an identical one out of hi van and fitted that!