Electricity Smart Meter/Gas Meter Proximity

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Dulouz

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#242324 22-Oct-2018 10:34

I'd like a smart meter but my current gas meter is too close to my electricity meter (i.e. within 2M). The electricity meter is outside and my idea is to bring on the inside of the house. Technically it will still be within 2M of the gas meter but there will be inside the house not outside. Are there any issue with this approach that I should be aware of?

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geoffwnz

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#2114246 26-Oct-2018 09:02

Only issue I can see is that they still will need to come and physically read it from time to time.

One of the main reasons for moving mine outside was to remove the need for the meter reader to access my property.

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hsvhel

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#2114248 26-Oct-2018 09:12

Inside would be a PITA for you and the meter reader, can you move the gas?

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Dulouz

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#2114252 26-Oct-2018 09:26

hsvhel:

Inside would be a PITA for you and the meter reader, can you move the gas?

Yes - I just assumed it would be more expensive to move the gas meter. Maybe not?

Amanon

PolicyGuy

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#2114262 26-Oct-2018 09:41

Dulouz:
I'd like a smart meter but my current gas meter is too close to my electricity meter (i.e. within 2M). The electricity meter is outside and my idea is to bring on the inside of the house. Technically it will still be within 2M of the gas meter but there will be inside the house not outside. Are there any issue with this approach that I should be aware of?

First thing is, you don't actually own the meter, of course, so you need permission of the owner to move it.
Since a lot of work by electricity companies over the last thirty years has been to get rid of indoor meters and put them in a place where they can be read and inspected from outside, it seems unlikely that they would give permission for you to reverse this.

Secondly, it's completely outside what you can do for yourself, so it would mean getting a registered electrician to re-terminate all your circuits from the old meter board location to the new one, then it has to be inspected. Unless the old external meter board is very new, probably you'd run smack into a whole bunch of regulatory issues about what is connected to what and how, which are different now to what they were when the old board was set up. This is potentially a very big and very expensive job.

My guess would be that this is not going to work.

[edit: spelling]

Bung

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#2114280 26-Oct-2018 10:16

Dulouz:
I'd like a smart meter but my current gas meter is too close to my electricity meter (i.e. within 2M). The electricity meter is outside and my idea is to bring on the inside of the house. Technically it will still be within 2M of the gas meter but there will be inside the house not outside. Are there any issue with this approach that I should be aware of?

Where does the 2m figure come from? I've seen some exclusion zone diagrams that show less than that. Has your power meter owner rejected a change to smart meter or are you making some assumptions?

@Aredwood is a gasfitter that may have some insights.

Dulouz

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#2114286 26-Oct-2018 10:20

Bung:
Dulouz:

I'd like a smart meter but my current gas meter is too close to my electricity meter (i.e. within 2M). The electricity meter is outside and my idea is to bring on the inside of the house. Technically it will still be within 2M of the gas meter but there will be inside the house not outside. Are there any issue with this approach that I should be aware of?

Where does the 2m figure come from? I've seen some exclusion zone diagrams that show less than that. Has your power meter owner rejected a change to smart meter or are you making some assumptions?

@Aredwood is a gasfitter that may have some insights.

Correct. Mercury have said that the smart meter needs to be 2M away from gas meter. I've confirmed that turning the meter inside won't work as it still isn't 2M away from the gas.

Amanon

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jamesrt

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#2114413 26-Oct-2018 12:57

Pretty sure mine aren't 2m apart; "fairly new" house. I'll measure them later.

Gas on outside of house; electric inside in a box; but with a built-in window on the outside wall so it can be checked/read from outside if required

SomeoneSomewhere

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#2114836 27-Oct-2018 11:19

Back to back isn't an issue; the 'hazardous area' doesn't extend into the house.

99% of new houses or apartments have the meter inside the house or garage with no external access. If you're installing a smart meter, the power company is going to be happy.

Moving meterboards/main switchboards is quite a headache, however. You need an electrician, inspector, and possibly the lines company (if you need to move the main switch or any cable before it) all present.