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On the subject of pulling the DNO fuse.

alanblaby
There have been a couple of reports here of the DNO confronting electricians who have pulled their fuse.


It's getting closer to home, a work colleague was doing a CU change on a domestic house last week, no isolator fitted, so he pulled the fuse (no seals present).

South Nottinghamshire.


Around 90 minutes later there was a knock on the door, a guy from Western Power was investigating a power loss at the property, reported by the Smart Meter phoning home.

He gave the sparky a talking to, and warned they are getting strict in pursuing people who do it, he said meter fiddling was rife, so any loss of power is checked out asap.
  • Former Community Member
    0 Former Community Member
    If a smart meter, presumeably the DNO would not get the notification of loss of supply


    Hasn't this been thought of by interlocking the cover of the terminals?


    Regards


    BOD
  • 0
    I have an ongoing situation, I started an EICR and found Zs to be 1.3 ohms for TN-S, measured with the SSE main fuse removed. SSE have eventually sent someone out and have now decided to dig up the drive and lay in a new supply. This is another case where someone (Yours truly), who is authorised to do so, has found a safety issue caused by their supply. I think that they must be in a quandary as to whether to suffer the lesser of 2 evils, by authorising registered electricians to test at their incoming supply or having a sitting problem. A further consequence is that there are 2 supplies to outdoor buildings that may now require T.T. if they supply a TN-C-S.


    Jaymack
  • 0

    perspicacious:
    If a smart meter, presumeably the DNO would not get the notification of loss of supply


    Hasn't this been thought of by interlocking the cover of the terminals?




    Indeed, and the alarm is along the lines of “Meter Terminal Cover Removed” instead. There are a quite a lot of alarms that can be sent, some relating to the health and operation of the meter, some relating to attacks against it, including the two we have discussed here. 


    Regards,


    Alan. 

  • 0

    Jaymack:

    I have an ongoing situation, I started an EICR and found Zs to be 1.3 ohms for TN-S, measured with the SSE main fuse removed. SSE have eventually sent someone out and have now decided to dig up the drive and lay in a new supply. This is another case where someone (Yours truly), who is authorised to do so, has found a safety issue caused by their supply. I think that they must be in a quandary as to whether to suffer the lesser of 2 evils, by authorising registered electricians to test at their incoming supply or having a sitting problem. A further consequence is that there are 2 supplies to outdoor buildings that may now require T.T. if they supply a TN-C-S.




    I am confused, but may be it is due to the time of day.


    Why do Zs with the main fuse removed; and how? With your probe in the live terminal of the service head?


    In any event, the new supply will almost certainly be PME, which does not necessarily require TT in the outbuildings.

  • 0

    Chris Pearson:

    . . . Why do Zs with the main fuse removed; and how? With your probe in the live terminal of the service head? . . . 




    Indeed. Zs can be measured at the “customer end” of the meter tails, which is where the DNO calculate it to. This is why they tell you the length and cross sectional area of the meter tails. Measuring where you are, I am assuming you have a Class 4 tester with Class 4 leads. 


    Regards,


    Alan. 

  • 0

    Alan Capon:




    Chris Pearson:

    . . . Why do Zs with the main fuse removed; and how? With your probe in the live terminal of the service head? . . . 




    Indeed. Zs can be measured at the “customer end” of the meter tails, which is where the DNO calculate it to. This is why they tell you the length and cross sectional area of the meter tails. Measuring where you are, I am assuming you have a Class 4 tester with Class 4 leads. 



    Alan, thank you. Yes, I suppose that it is possible that the meter or the line consumer tail, or a combination of the two could have a high resistance. However, if I get a high Zs (or Ze) at the main switch (been there, done that) the DNO will come out and do the necessary. At least if they are SSE.

  • 0
    Well, if you needed one, that is another good reason to not have a smart meter then
  • 0
    That was a bizarre twist in the legislation. When Smart Metering was introduced in Ed Milliband’s 2013 Labour government, the consumer was given the power to veto a smart meter chosen by the electricity supplier. Now that the manufacture of conventional meters is minimal, I wonder how that will pan out. If the supplier has to change the meter by law and the customer can veto a smart meter, with only smart meters being available, what will they do? 


    Another example of poor legislation in my opinion.


    Regards,


    Alan.
  • 0


    ... allow a SMETS 1 meter and change supplier (to make it dumb...) ??

    There are also a handful of small suppliers who don't want / cannot do smart metering support and are not interested in installing them.


    meanwhile ... we can all have "any colour we wish so long as it's black' so to speak...


  • 0

    Alan Capon:

    If the supplier has to change the meter by law and the customer can veto a smart meter, with only smart meters being available, what will they do? 




    Fit a three phase one?

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