Smart meter installation failed due to no backboard?

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The meters and the fuse in my house are currently screwed directly onto the wooden panels that line the inside of a cupboard built into the wall. Its an old 1900’s stone built property. This has been the fitting arrangement since installation of the electricity supply and original black meter in 1950. Since then SSE has installed an off peak meter in the 70’s for storage heaters, and a check meter in 2019, both screwed by them directly onto the wall panels, same as the fuse and original meter, ie without a back board, and seemingly not an issue as far as they were concerned.

I am now trying to arrange for OVO to fit a SMART meter. They can come next week However they say a back board is essential , but they also say they will not fit one and to speak to the DNO, SSE. I have done so, and they say they will send someone to fit a piece of backboard behind their incoming fuse, but that’s it.

So now seem to be in a catch 22, because as far as I am aware, nobody else is supposed to unscrew meters except them. Or am wrong here? Can i buy a backboard and try to find an electrician, not easy and unlikely at short notice, to unscrew them, fit the board, and put the meters back on? Then get OVO to come along at a later date to take them off again and fit the new meter?

Alternatively, when the OVO fitter arrives, what if I get him to remove his old meters, and he goes for a coffee break while I screw on the backboard? Then he can install the SMART meter?

Ant thoughts?

Blastoise186Best Answer

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Updated on 27/10/26 by Ben_OVO

Howdy @jaymac,

Thanks for asking this one! Please bear with us as I this may take some thinking to figure this one out.

But personally, I’d say you’re better off having the DNO Engineer AND the OVO Engineer attend at the same time, as between them, in theory they’d be able to pull all of the equipment (except the consumer unit) off the wall, give you a chance to get the backboard fitted while they take a break and then carry on with the respective jobs afterwards.

Please do not ask anyone else other than OVO and your DNO to remove equipment from the wall - only they are legally authorised to do so for their respective elements.

Please purchase the backboard now and have that ready since you’ll want that before anyone shows up anyway. They’re pretty cheap to buy at builders merchants and don’t take much effort to install. You’ll want to have a qualified electrician put the backboard up. It doesn’t usually take very long so shouldn’t cause much in the way of disruption.

Bit of a tip - it’s recommended to buy a bigger board than you think you need! That way, it can simply be cut down to size for a perfect fit without having to buy another one. :)

If you can get all the right people to attend at the same time, this shouldn’t be too tricky if memory serves.

hello Blastoise, you have been a great help with this . The issue has now been resolved satisfactorily.

Your SSEN contact was a great help also, and was expecting to hear from me when I got in touch with her. She spoke with the Area Engineer who actually visited later in the week when I was out, but he then phoned me

He was dismissive of any practical need for a chipboard back board as the solid wood panelling behind the meters was perfectly sound, and much better than a rubbish piece of chipboard. SSEN was perfectly satisfied that their fuse had no backboard, it was perfectly safe on the wooden panels and been so for 70 years!

However he arranged for an engineer to call in on the smart meter fitting day (which he did), just in case I was unfortunate enough to get some over officious jobsworth coming to fit the meter, and demanding a backboard be fitted for everything before he could start.

Fortunately, the young technician who came to do the fitting was not one of the above, he was very sensible, took one look, said the job was straightforward it would take him about an hour, and he never mentioned anything bout backboards! He was actually excellent, a very efficient, tidy worker, who just got on with it without any fuss about anything.

The smart meter seems to be doing its job and all is ok

So Blastoise, thanks again so much, for your help with the issue.

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Blastoise186

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