Mains Fuse Isolator

itsallaboutyou

itsallaboutyou

itsallaboutyou

Associate
Joined
11 Mar 2005
Posts
1,168
Afternoon all.

I appear to be stuck in an infinite loop with the DNO (Scottish power) and our provider (BG) with both saying it’s the other…

Who do I pay to come and fit a mains isolator?

Anyone had one installed recently?

Cheers
 
Potentially both can but normally supplier not the DNO since it goes after their fuse.
Igloo energy did mine without issue. Their metering contractor did the work.
If your cut-out is knckered then the DNO gets involved there.
 
Ah! Right! That’s really useful thanks.

We’ve got a 100A fuse - no idea why the isolator wasn’t done then really. But I know the meter tails are 16mm and should be 25mm.

I’ll see how I go!

Cheers.
 
Oh that shouldn't be the case, my guess is you have a 60/80amp fuse inside the 100a rated holder then.
They will be willing to replace the tails their side of the switch but they won't open the CU as that's as far as the metering team's training goes/they won't touch 'your' equipment.
If I were you in your circumstances I'd pay to have a sparky come and fit 25mm tails into an isolator (eg. https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/WYREC2S.html), he'll cut the main fuse seals and connect the exisiting tails into the other end of the isolator. Then call your DNO and tell them they have 16mm tails on a 100amp fuse on their side and its unsafe and then they will come and replace them for free. They'll re-seal your main fuse and swap you to a 100a incomer then if you don't infact have one.
 
Last edited:
eventually had ours done by eon. after a terrible call to there centre to book it , i assumed having eco7 as well i may need 2 but they quoted me 98pounds. anyway as we were having some electrical work carried out and the electrician did not want to pull the fuse we agreed.
guy came out nice as pie put one isolator in which as he explained was a double (so covered the eco7 as well) got charged 49 pounds on next bill.
his comment was the call centre folk were just guessing and probably got confused when i intially asked for 2 lol.

did read not sure if on here that scottish power were doing them for nothing maybe thats changed.
oh..
and he uprated the meter tails as well to 25mm for free.
 
SBo said:
Oh that shouldn't be the case, my guess is you have a 60/80amp fuse inside the 100a rated holder then.
They will be willing to replace the tails their side of the switch but they won't open the CU as that's as far as the metering team's training goes/they won't touch 'your' equipment.
If I were you in your circumstances I'd pay to have a sparky come and fit 25mm tails into an isolator (eg. https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/WYREC2S.html), he'll cut the main fuse seals and connect the exisiting tails into the other end of the isolator. Then call your DNO and tell them they have 16mm tails on a 100amp fuse on their side and its unsafe and then they will come and replace them for free. They'll re-seal your main fuse and swap you to a 100a incomer then if you don't infact have one.
Click to expand...
ah!

To be honest I’d read that could be the case, just assumed as it says 100A - but the web is full of stories of 60/80.

I’ll speak to my electrician compadre and ask his advice.

We did basically rewire the whole house a few months ago. I’m told he slipped and the fuse seal came off… whodathunkit?

I’ll make a few phone calls I imagine!

Cheers!
 
There's been no seal on my main fuse for the past 20 odd years I have lived here. Scottish Power meter readers have never commented so I just save myself the hassle of trying to contact anyone there. It's a 63 Amp fuse in the 100 Amp rated cartridge holder.
 
Either your DNO or supplier should be able to arrange for an isolator switch. In practice this may vary as some suppliers sub-contract this work out.

A 100A sticker on a cut-out only indicates its maximum current carrying capacity. In practice many are fitted with 80A fuses which suited 16mm2 tails and older meters that were rated to 80A.
 
I had this exact issue last year. Technically the supplier should do the work and they need to inform/get permission from the DNO. In reality, Shell Energy told me they charge £450 and the advisor said it's out of order really and he would just get someone else to do it personally!

So I did as @SBo suggests - Fitted my own consumer unit and isolator switch, then called a sparks who came out and swapped the tails over.

A shame as my supply install is old and could really do with replacing/moving and tidying up, but apparently Shell don't know FA about electrical work!
 
What is the implication of knocking off the EON tamper seals? The guy from EON was a right jobsworth and has left me with little to no-space for my consumer unit... all the sparkys seem to have no issue with removing them.
 
Its good to hear others having the run around too!!

Haven’t been able to get hold of anyone today - but my electrician mate is happy to do it and then get the tails upgraded.

I think that’s what I took from the conversation!!

Edit - by ‘good’, I mean not surprising!
 
Last edited:
dLockers said:
What is the implication of knocking off the EON tamper seals? The guy from EON was a right jobsworth and has left me with little to no-space for my consumer unit... all the sparkys seem to have no issue with removing them.
Click to expand...
The tags have a serial number on them. Only registered people are meant to cut them off for work, and reinstate new tags - typically suppliers' workers or DNO I think. But in reality plenty of houses mysteriously just never had tags guv, honest, like this when I got here. And plenty of electricians will happily chop them. The one I used just swapped the tails live, to avoid cutting the tags :eek:
 
Last edited:
LuckyBenski said:
The tags have a serial number on them. Only registered people are meant to cut them off for work, and reinstate new tags - typically suppliers' workers or DNO I think. But in reality plenty of houses mysteriously just never had tags guv, honest, like this when I got here. And plenty of electricians will happily chop them. The one I used just swapped the tails live, to avoid cutting the tags :eek:
Click to expand...

The reality is most don't have serial numbers at all and it is all so losely policed that unless there is an accident involving the main cut out no one really cares, for now anyway.. I've seen a massive jump in people linking out meters etc (can't say I'm surprised with the insane costs) it's the supplier who can fit your DPI I wouldn't bother with the DNO they will work on the cut out and maybe the tails that go to the meter if you are lucky but anything from the meter onwards they want nothing to do with (this includes the DPI which is after the meter)
 
Chris Wilson said:
There's been no seal on my main fuse for the past 20 odd years I have lived here. Scottish Power meter readers have never commented so I just save myself the hassle of trying to contact anyone there. It's a 63 Amp fuse in the 100 Amp rated cartridge holder.
Click to expand...
We had a new seal fitted the other year. Apparently Scotish Power reported it when they fitted the smart meter. Never said anything mind. First we knew about it was when Western Power Distribution turned up one evening to sort it!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom