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FIRE SERVICE AND GENERAL FIRE SAFETY TOPICS => Fire Safety => Topic started by: kurnal on October 09, 2011, 09:30:30 AM

Title: Flats, social housing and pre-pay meters.
Post by: kurnal on October 09, 2011, 09:30:30 AM

When risk assessing blocks of flats with electicity intake rooms within the staircase we always recommend that this be to a fire resisting standard, kept sterile and the door locked shut.

But pre pay meters are common in social housing as so tenants need access to the intake rooms to top up their supply. We always recommend that they be moved to the tenants flat but they never are.

Has anyone been able to persuade the electricity supply company to move the pre pay meters to the tenants flat, and if so who paid for this?

Title: Re: Flats, social housing and pre-pay meters.
Post by: Bill G on October 10, 2011, 02:17:00 PM

Hi Kernal -

on behalf of my organisation the answer is NO . It is a problem and not we have not managed to get the meters moved !! And I suspect we never will .

Title: Re: Flats, social housing and pre-pay meters.
Post by: Tom Sutton on October 10, 2011, 02:31:49 PM

Quote from: Bill G on October 10, 2011, 02:17:00 PM

Hi Kernal -

Bill are you calling our Prof a nut? shame on you.

Title: Re: Flats, social housing and pre-pay meters.
Post by: kurnal on October 10, 2011, 09:00:25 PM

Thanks for defending me Tom.

(Puts pencils back up nose and hankerchief back on head.)

Title: Re: Flats, social housing and pre-pay meters.
Post by: Bill G on October 11, 2011, 11:40:23 AM

Sorry about that - I will nead to spel check next thyme

Title: Re: Flats, social housing and pre-pay meters.
Post by: Mar62 on October 20, 2011, 06:00:07 PM

Upto about 15 years ago I used to work for what was Eastern Electricity, one of the reasons it is sometimes difficult to move the meters is that in many situations the cable upto the flat is not upto the correct rating and unsuitable for a rising main supply cable (sometimes used to be 16mm twin and earth) and also there is the issue of having joints between the intake and the meter upstairs that may be somewhere persons can tap into and steal electricity. That was then anyway...............

Title: Re: Flats, social housing and pre-pay meters.
Post by: The Colonel on October 20, 2011, 07:43:15 PM

Asked the question of a housing officer with an Association I have been working with a few times and the answer was if the tenant wants the meter moved then they pay a standard charge of £850.00 to the electrical provider not the housing association. Only in extreme circumstances will the housing association get involved with the costs such as refurbishment of the block.