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Re-locating gas and electricity meter - can OVO help?

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I am doing some work on my house and planning to knock through a wall in kitchen. Unfortunately the electricity metre is on the wall that needs to be chocked down. It needs to be moved to the opposite wall about a meter. With the gas meter once the knock through happens it will be in the middle of the room, so need to move it about 1.5m. Has any one done moving of utility metres before..? Can OVO do this for me..?
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Best answer by Anonymous 1 July 2017, 13:30

Updated on 14/10/20: We’ve made a topic guide on engineer jobs and how much they cost, see this here

Moving your electricity meter costs £125 for a single phase, and £325 for a 3-phase supply. However you need to arrange for your Distribution Network Operator (DNO) to visit and move the mains supply on any given morning, and our engineer later that day. 

Moving your gas meter costs £145. Same deal as the electricity, you need to arrange for the National Grid to visit to move the mains gas supply in the morning, and we will visit later that day to move the meter. 

 

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M

Hi. Need to move an existing smart meter due to proposed extension works. It’s already external and needs to move c4 metres to the front of the property (on the existing). What’s the approximate cost for this and who do I need to speak to, to get this move done?

Transparent
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Hi @mgilbert82. I’d be interested to hear OVO’s view on this too!

I’ve twice had (non-Smart) electricity meters moved, and this was undertaken by a local electrician. It involves snipping the security seals, including that on the Service Fuse owned by your [color=#3070c0]Distributed Network Operator[/color]. The electrician then summons an engineer from the [color=#3070c0]DNO[/color] to attend on-site as the work is completed. The seals are restored once the system is approved.

This is a quick and painless process.

I can’t see why it should be any different with a Smart Meter. In the unlikely event that the new location failed to provide a clear enough GSM signal or was too far from your gas meter, you could still provide manual readings whilst a remedy was found.

Local electricians generally enjoy a good working relationship with the area team of engineers from the [color=#3070c0]DNO[/color]. Why not contact one and ask their opinion too?

Save energy... recycle electrons!
Amy_OVO
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This is a big job,@PhilBell, so we'll need to help from the National Grid. You'll need to pay us to relocate the meter this costs £145, there will also be another charge from the National Grid - you'll need to get in touch with them for a quote.

To get this booked in you'll need to call our Customer Care team as well as the National Grid. You can find out who takes care of your gas pipes here. Our team are available weekdays 8am-6pm on 0330 303 5063.

As soon as your meter has been re-positioned we'll exchange it for a smart meter. This can be arranged here.

The meter box is your responsibility, so you can choose this yourself. Most DIY and hardware stores sell these. You could try B&Q! 🙂

Welcome to the foum, @mgilbert82 

Please check out the above answer and the topic at the top of this thread, it should hold all the info you need. 

Thanks! 

OVO-Joyed to help!
anthonyonions
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Our gas meter is in the back of a kitchen corner cupboard so is a bit of a pain to get to and reduces the cupboard space considerably. We’d ideally like to move it to the outside of the same wall. Would OVO be involved in a move like this as our supplier?

 

Many thanks

Anthony

Amy_OVO
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Hey, @anthonyonions, you’ll find all the info you need in this thread! 

OVO-Joyed to help!
R
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Userlevel 1

I thought I’d update this thread, as I now have a quote, to save others the bother.

I asked on the forum how to move our external gas meter by 150mm, away from the house wall, so that we could have external wall insulation behind it, and I was told £106 on this thread, and to contact OVO customer services.  If you look back in this thread I posted a photo.

I did contact OVO customer services by ‘phone, then emailed a picture, then they phoned me, then finally emailed to say OVO could not move the meter “as it is outside”.  They told me to contact Cadence, who would do the job instead.  I did this, and have been quoted £1170.  I tried to explain to everybody that it was in earth, and so could just be pulled into the new position, but it has all been in vain.  I hope this helps others.

Nancy_OVO
Userlevel 6

Hi @RobL,

I’m not sure about the specifics as I don’t have access to the photos you’ve sent in, but as long as it stays on the same wall and within 1m of the ECV, we can move it. If the ECV needs moving, then the gas transporter would need to be involved as that’s their remit. 

Feel free to post your pics on here so I can double check for you.

Cheers

Your guiding light(bulb)
R
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Hi Nancy

I sent in the photo 2 months ago under my username RobL when I started this quest, to help I’ve attached it again.  I gave Ovo customer services the information than I’ve already put on this forum, and they initially said “you don’t need to insulate behind the meter”, before coming to the conclusion they couldn’t do it because it was outside.   While it’s true that I don’t “need” to insulate behind the meter, it will be a significant heat loss if I don’t.  I’m sure the meter could physically be moved easily, as the feeder pipe is just in earth. 

Thanks for the positive vibes, but as I said, I phoned, I emailed, they ‘phoned then they emailed “no due to outside”.  I think every contact was with a different person, so I’m not confident that the person calling had seen the photo etc, maybe that was what went wrong?

Rob

 

Eva_OVO
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If the reply to the email was from an agent in our Siteworks team they would’ve been best placed to help with this, @RobL. As the meter is outside this is something the gas transporter would need to help with. 

My friend told me how electricity is measured and I was like Watt!
L
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We’d like to move our cut out, smart meter and fuse box as they are all currently situated on the site of an old door, which we’d like to reinstate. The connections engineer has been round and said it would be fine to move it to the adjoining (external) wall, which is where the main cable comes in from the outside. I understand the whole process of getting it all set up with SSE/OVO/our electrician, but I’m worried that Ovo might turn up and say that they can’t move the meter to where we want it to be. We’d like to move it above a window, so it would sit just above door height (see photo - the meter is currently behind the photo board and we want to move it to the wall above the window alcove - the top of the alcove is exactly 6ft

). The connections engineer said that sometimes suppliers do not want the meters to be placed too high up - I really don’t want to book everyone in and then find that it’s not possible.

PeterR1947
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Every operator has different rules but the recommended maximum height is 6 feet to the middle of the meter cabinet (assuming you are enclosing it in such)

Any higher than this and you aren’t going to get it read as meter readers aren’t allowed to climb up ladders.

As a former meter reader the highest meter I read was just under a barn roof but I was getting paid on a per meter basis otherwise i wouldn’t have bothered.

Hope that’s some help

Amy_OVO
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Userlevel 6

I’ve moved your post here, @losmith, the above thread holds some info that may be handy. 

I’m pretty sure @PeterR1947, is correct regarding the height restrictions of moving a meter, but it’s worth double checking, please reach out to our team. 

You can send us a message on Facebook, Twitter  or webchat via the Help Centre. You can reach our team on: 0330 303 5063. Our opening hours are 8am-6pm Monday to Friday.

Thanks! 

 

OVO-Joyed to help!
L
Rank

Every operator has different rules but the recommended maximum height is 6 feet to the middle of the meter cabinet (assuming you are enclosing it in such)

Any higher than this and you aren’t going to get it read as meter readers aren’t allowed to climb up ladders.

As a former meter reader the highest meter I read was just under a barn roof but I was getting paid on a per meter basis otherwise i wouldn’t have bothered.

Hope that’s some help

Thanks for this reply - does this still matter when we have a smart meter, which doesn’t need to be read?

 

Eva_OVO
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We’ll still be required to read the meter regardless of whether you have smart meters, @losmith, it’s worth getting in touch just to double check! :)

My friend told me how electricity is measured and I was like Watt!
E
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Hi.

I want to find out how / OVO can move my electric meter from the shop below  as they are vacating the property and want access to it more frequently.

Thanks

S
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Userlevel 3

@Emmastar from what I remember reading on here it involves both OVO and your Distribution Network Operator (DNO).

 

I think the DNO needs to move the supply first then OVO will move the meter. They are cost implications depending on the complexaty of the job. Also prepare to be off supply for a day.

 

The customer care team will be able to provide specifics and the easiest way to minimise disruption. 

Nancy_OVO
Userlevel 6

Hey @Emmastar and @SR3 

Great advice! It doesn’t necessarily always require the DNO, usually they only need to get involved if you’re moving the meter over 1m, and supply cables need extending. 

A meter reposition will cost £125, and we’ll need to take a payment over the phone before booking it in.

Thanks

Your guiding light(bulb)

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