Commercial Meter Disconnection in Residential Property

I'm not sure I've got the right picture here. I think you've got two separately metered supplies - one for Flat 1 and another for everything else - is that right? Or is the problematic meter just for the communal areas? I assume all the meters are ordinary supplier's meters - not private ones (e.g. owned by a landlord who's "reselling" electricity to tenants).


Ether way, moving meters or the connections to them isn't a job for an ordinary electrician, nor (usually) the distribution network operator (SPEN), but your electricity supplier (the people who bill you for electricity) - or their contracted meter operator. If the standing changes are silly, you might be able to get a better deal by switching to a different supplier (or a different tariff from the same supplier).


You electrician can usually disconnect loads from one metered supply and re-connect them to another another - but can't touch the meters themselves or the cabling before them.


   - Andy.

Andy,

Not quite my understanding. I read it that one house has been converted into three separate flats and each flat has their own metered supply, but that additionally there is a communal area with a fourth metered supply which is probably just for the lighting in the communal hall. I would expect the communal hall light could be moved to the flat 1 supply and then (with nothing left being supplied by the communal meter) the supplier could be contacted and requested to cancel the supply to the communal area. However the leasehold should be checked to see that this can be done by the leaseholders.

Request that the commercial supply is disconnected and the meter removed, then apply for a new domestic landlords supply and meter from a different supplier.


It may take several months and you may be without a supply at all to the communal areas for a period.


Or request that the commercial supply is disconnected and the meter removed and get an electrician to make a connection to the flat supply. Though that may not be trouble free, we have done it the other way around where the landlord supplies a flat and includes the electric in the rent within sense and reason with a landlords meter to keep a tab on it.


If the electric supply to the flat is turned off for any reason then the supply is lost to the communal areas. Over the years I have seen issues with people turning off water and electric to other flats and communal areas for various reasons.


Andy Betteridge

There is nothing stopping you having a private meter downstream of the meter for the flat one supply, so the no  of units are counted  - just to be sure no one decides to charge their car from the common hallway sockets and unduly blame flat one.

Moving loads from one circuit to another is a normal job, but any responsible electrician will want to see the agreement of the occupant of the flat he is connecting to  as well as the owner of the circuits  he is disconnecting from, so as not to be party to a theft.

The meter itself, as others have said, can only be moved (or removed) by the folk you pay the bill to.

Before that, have you just asked about a better deal ?  Uswitch or similar may be able to advise,

as a "for example"  ebico  offer a zero-standing charge option on a slightly higher per unit price, and some minimum no of units per year in some cases - there may well be better options.

The landlords supply will always be “commercial” so different rules apply including the amount of time the suppliers have to respond to enquires and requests from you.


Andy Betteridge

Some of my work is for a demolition company doing the "paperwork" to get services disconnected outside the site boundary to enable demolition to commence. Some sites have services running through them that need to be preserved to continue supplying adjacent properties etc.

I've found that the supplier will not disconnect their service until the associated meter has been physically removed, so you'll probably be better off arranging this and preparing an alternative source for the communal area that has a sub meter installed to protect any interest of Flat 1 should the other flats decide to use that supply for their own purpose.......

Access to the protective device should it trip, might be something to consider if Flat 1 is away.................

Regards

BOD

So, the occupier of flat 1 moves out and their electricity supplier temporarily disconnects the supply until a new customer signs up. All I the common supplies vanish until the new occupier moves in. 


The occupier of flat 1 decides they want a pre-payment meter fitted. When the credit runs out, the common supplies fail. 


What does the landlord have to say? What do the liability insurers for the building have to say? Is there a fire certificate in place and what are the effects on the certificate of the common supply being disconnected? 


Regards,


Alan.

What a great range of replies, most helpful, thanks.


Alasdair has it spot on. 3 flats each have their own domestic metered supply and there is a communal, commercial meter for the 4th supply. There is no landlord, leasehold etc. (Scotland, we each have shared ownership of common areas and supplies).


We hadn't considered the option of just getting the commercial meter replaced with a domestic one. I'll float that amongst the owners and see what they think. Otherwise, it sounds like getting the supply moved (downstream of the meter) to Flat 1, followed by getting the supplier to get the meter removed, sounds like the next best option. As we're all owner-occupiers, it seems unlikely we'd end up without common electricity. As far as I'm aware, supplies are never disconnected anyway, even when not paid for (someone later just picks up the bill).

Fultonius:

As far as I'm aware, supplies are never disconnected anyway, even when not paid for (someone later just picks up the bill).

Perhaps in Scotland. It doesn't take much for a supplier to pull the main fuse carrier, remove the fuse, and re-seal it; or even remove the meter.

I wired the communal area of three flats so that each flat has an "outdoor" light with a time lag switch plus an override switch inside the individual flats front door, as well as an emergency light in the communal area supplied by each flats supply. 


No landlords supply at all, so a happy landlord. But if the supply to a flat is disconnected then a third of the lights don't work,  but it's never been an issue as far as I know. 


Andy B.