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Charge for changing an existing meter and not a smart meter?

Emmanuel Yohannes

Hi all,

I need advice for a possible meter change.... just a backstory so far, I've had a consumer unit change for my property from my old DB to ( FuseBox F2014MX 14 Way RCBO Consumer Unit + Surge Protection) and my Electrician has recommended that I get a 100amp rated main fuse (the existing one was 60amps). So I called the DNO and requested the fuse upgrade, but their reply was that I needed to change the electricity meter to 100amps as well, as well as change the meter tails to 25mm. I thought okay... so I get on the phone to my energy supplier and ask for the meter upgrade as well as tails. I opted to not get a smart meter, as I have heard about their unreliability, I just wanted a conventional meter with 100amps. The guy on the other end tells me its going to cost £140 to keep the old-style meter with 100amps but will be free with the smart meter. Is this correct, do I have to pay to upgrade my meter with the old design vs not paying for a 100amp smart meter, I don't understand why one is free and the other isn't. Someone please enlighten me....

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    The only people who can answer that with confidence are your energy supplier, as they will provide and fit the meter.

    In reality neither figure (£00 or £140 ) is the cost of the meter or the fitter driving there.  The meter itself may be £40 to £70, and the fitter will be paid by the hour. I suspect there is a deliberate policy to subsidize smart meters to encourage their installation, and that has the effect of making not so smart ones look a lot more expensive.

    But first I'd question the  need for all this.

    Have you added a lot of new loads to your house as well as the new consumer unit ? If not, if it ran before without blowing a 60A fuse, it still will, and there is not a lot of point in changing.(the meter will be changed for free when it reaches end of life.)

    Dividing the same load among more circuits does not change it,  all it does is make fault finding and zone isolation a bit easier.

    regards Mike.

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  • 0

    The only people who can answer that with confidence are your energy supplier, as they will provide and fit the meter.

    In reality neither figure (£00 or £140 ) is the cost of the meter or the fitter driving there.  The meter itself may be £40 to £70, and the fitter will be paid by the hour. I suspect there is a deliberate policy to subsidize smart meters to encourage their installation, and that has the effect of making not so smart ones look a lot more expensive.

    But first I'd question the  need for all this.

    Have you added a lot of new loads to your house as well as the new consumer unit ? If not, if it ran before without blowing a 60A fuse, it still will, and there is not a lot of point in changing.(the meter will be changed for free when it reaches end of life.)

    Dividing the same load among more circuits does not change it,  all it does is make fault finding and zone isolation a bit easier.

    regards Mike.

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