We recently had an electrician in who said we have a very old and the original electricity supply box, even though we have a smart meter. He described it as “a biscuit tin” and it needs changing because it will be increasing the amount of energy we use. I have attached a picture of what it looks like.
Who would I contact to change this and can they do it as I don’t want to be charged more than necessary, especially as all other costs are increasing.
Howdy
Oh wow, that’s a pretty old unit there! If you don’t mind telling me which region you’re in, I can definitely look up the contact details for your DNO for you.
This guide may also be helpful to you as well.
Thanks for the reply. We are in St. Helens which is Merseyside (north west). I wouldn’t even know what the box is called to get it changed because of how old it is!
Gimme a second!
Updated on 14/09/23 by Abby_OVO
Ok, your DNO has been identified successfully. :) I’ve just had a really nice chat with Electricity North West for you and they’ve given me exactly the answer you need. Here’s what they told me. This exact answer has been adapted for agardner1 and might not be suitable for anyone else.
As this is just a main fuse upgrade, please email connectionapplications@enwl.co.uk . This one’s best used for general upgrades only in cases where it’s not a safety concern - simply request a main fuse upgrade and they’ll help you out. Oh, and this only works for properties in their area. Not sure who your DNO is? This guide should help you out!
If you need it done urgently because of a safety concern, give them a call on 105 and they’ll be able to arrange an emergency engineer visit. I’m not aware of any charges but either way, you’ll always be informed upfront.
Hope this helps! If you get stuck, give them a call on 0800 195 4141 and they can guide you through the process. It’s option 4 then option 1.
Brilliant, thank you for your help 
No worries. :)
If you need a hand with anything else, feel free to stop by anytime.
Can I ask what happened? Did they replace it? Did you have to pay anything?
Did you need a hand with this yourself?
Sure, please post photos and tell me what county or region you're in - I don’t need anything more detailed like what town/city/village you’re in. This will allow us to see what you’ve got and also help to make sure we provide the right advice for your area.
Analysing data! Please wait for an update.
Found it!
https://www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk/safety-equipment/equipment-and-cables/replace-fuse
You might need to get your supplier to send a D0135 to get this done. Please have a chat with your supplier and they should be able to arrange it.
Wow
There are 2 basic parts to this.
1 as above , your DNO should sort out your old main fusing but then also, your own responsibility is the fuse board which should also be replaced.
I can’t quite see what the white box in the top right hand corner is and the main earth is a bit suspect (but the DNO should be able to deal with that).
You can find your DNO here
Found it!
https://www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk/safety-equipment/equipment-and-cables/replace-fuse
You might need to get your supplier to send a D0135 to get this done. Please have a chat with your supplier and they should be able to arrange it.
Thank you for your information. I don't know how I would discuss with my supplier, I'm with BG. I guess only if I agreed with them for a smart meter they would find an issue with this set up? Is there any way I could ask from power networks whether they could look at this without informing my supplier?
Yep, you can indeed. Give them a call on 0800 029 4285 and you can request a free site visit. UKPN should then advise on what can be done.
British Gas will NOT be informed if you do it this way.
Wow
There are 2 basic parts to this.
1 as above , your DNO should sort out your old main fusing but then also, your own responsibility is the fuse board which should also be replaced.
I can’t quite see what the white box in the top right hand corner is and the main earth is a bit suspect (but the DNO should be able to deal with that).
You can find your DNO here
Thank you for your reply, the white box on the board is a wired in doorbell I've never used previous owner had it and doorbell never worked. The box to the right is switch to electric shower in the bathroom. Where do you mean the main earth is a bit suspect? How do I raise this issue with the DNO? Do I just call them? What do i say, I have really old main fusing? Is it an urgent thing of the fuse board. Sorry I don't know anything I am just a woman on disability that's been walked out on by her partner who was previous co owner. Any advice is greatly appreciated, thank you
Yep, you can indeed. Give them a call on 0800 029 4285 and you can request a free site visit. UKPN should then advise on what can be done.
British Gas will NOT be informed if you do it this way.
Thank you so much for your information! What do I tell them? Do I say I have really old wiring to the mains switch, is that the correct term? Sorry for my complete not knowing how to word things!
No worries. Tell them you’d like to see about having your main fuse replaced because it’s an old Bakelite one that might have asbestos in, but you’re not sure so you’d like to explore having it replaced.
That should do the trick.
No worries. Tell them you’d like to see about having your main fuse replaced because it’s an old Bakelite one that might have asbestos in, but you’re not sure so you’d like to explore having it replaced.
That should do the trick.
Thank you so much for your help, I've just gone onto the uk power networks website and you can do an online request, but am I best to call them? And they should replace this with no cost to myself? Is it an urgent thing I have the things that are my responsibility fixed or when I can afford to? I have no issues with any of them right now it's only that I've had a new gas boiler put it and they said the electric board was old!
Up to you. I’d say Online is probably easier though. The site visit is free - you won’t be charged for anything without your explicit permission either.
Thank you so much for your help/advice, I’ve just submitted an online query with them, hopefully for a site visit, I’ll update with update when I can.
I can’t quite see what the white box in the top right hand corner is ...
I think it’s a doorbell! Isn’t image search wonderful? You can get just about anything on Ebay:
You can just about make out the FRIEDLAND name in the top right of Don’s picture.
You can’t buy me on eBay though! :P
I can’t quite see what the white box in the top right hand corner is ...
I think it’s a doorbell! Isn’t image search wonderful? You can get just about anything on Ebay:
You can just about make out the FRIEDLAND name in the top right of Don’s picture.
You are correct! When I moved in there was an old doorbell that the previous owner had and it was wired in and it's never worked!
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