The latest email I have had from my supplier trying to get me to take a smart meter says I must have one fitted as the BBC are going to stop transmitting the time codes it uses to switch tariffs and control local appliances and my obsolete meter will not work when this happens. 

My meter is a reasonable modern 3 phase meter that does not have any time code switching, a fact I confirmed with a very knowledgable meter reader recently.

In addition when I asked my supplier, during one of the may calls they have made to me over the years about getting a smart meter, they said they were now able to overcome the long distance from the gas meter to the electricity meter and the different long distance between the electricity meter to the house (both over 20M with brick walls in the way) to enable the display to work and the poor mobile reception in the area. I then mentioned that I a three phase supply and they said they did not do three phase smart meters and would stop bothering me until they did. A statement they have made in the past when I ask about three phase meters.

They have sent the meter reader around quite frequently recently despite or because I am supplying monthly readings. With them estimating my annual energy cost to be over £5,000 I am obviously taking steps to ensure it is much less. They also wanted to nearly double my monthly payment to allow for the increased winter usage. As I am over £1,000 in credit and increasing  I declined their kind offer until the credit balance was much reduced. 

I have a 3-phase supply, which I thought would protect me from having a smart meter, but I understand that they are now available. Happily, my supplier, British Gas, has not been pestering me to change. The "problem" with having the intake in an outbuilding is that the display probably will not work.

My gas supplier was pestering me quite a bit, but they agreed not to (and have done as agreed) based upon the size of the meter.

If the DNO/DSO/MO pester you to have a smart meter fitted you should insist on a double pole isolator be fitted to comply with the EAWR1989 at there cost.

Worth mentioning when you think your main cutout/service fuse was last replaced.

Check out section 12 B

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1989/635/regulation/12/made

you should insist on a double pole isolator be fitted to comply with the EAWR1989 at there cost.

You can try, but I suspect the answer will be what it's always been - safe isolation can be achieved by getting an authorized person to withdraw the cut-out fuse. Arguably the situation isn't that different from some large sites when a means of isolation might be in a locked switch room.

Personally I'm all in favour of the suppliers terminating their equipment with isolatable and accessible (not sealed) terminals - not only would be it be far more convenient and efficient from the customer's electrician's point of view, it probably makes overall economic/environmental sense too - it doesn't take very many trips for a bloke in a diesel powered DNO van to justify a £15 isolator. The bean counters only work inside their own little silos and don't see it that way unfortunately.

For the moment I think the best we can do is install an isolator ourselves at the first convenient opportunity and get the DNO/supplier out just the once to connect it in.

   - Andy.

It's a shame that more people from DNO/DSO/MO are not on this forum and entering into these engineering forum debates to make the systems better for all involved.  I am sure that this will only get worse as the Part P qualified or even those who are not qualified start to enter into the management structure for these large companies and start to make the decissions we have to obide by.  . 

It's a shame that more people from DNO/DSO/MO are not on this forum and entering into these engineering forum debates to make the systems better for all involved.  I am sure that this will only get worse as the Part P qualified or even those who are not qualified start to enter into the management structure for these large companies and start to make the decissions we have to obide by.  . 

It might be better if more the management actually had any idea what they were managing, I'm not sure that part P comes anywhere near it. There are some superb technical people working in the DNOs, but they are often hard for the customer's sparks to reach, and in some cases when you get to talk to them privately there seems to be a feeling  of  'lions led by donkeys' when it comes to company policy.
Those who put boots on and go out and look at stuff know what needs doing, in terms of isolators, fuse policy, street cable upgrades etc but often the bean counters have the upper hand. It is not helped by the way that the money flow from customer to DNO is interrupted by the metering company, who collect the bills but have no interest in charging enough to support long term network maintenance. Yes it drives the price on the day down, but rather like the private water companies, it comes at a cost.

Mike.