DNO charges when needing isolator fitted.

[Gavin John Hyde]

Spoke to the local DNO this week, as a job im quoting for needs an isolator fitted so i can run a small second CU from a henley block to supply an extension.
I may also be running a supply to the separate garage in the foreseeable future.
I only need them to either de-energise supply and i will fit the DP isolator myself.
Cheeky buggers want over 60 quid plus vat to pull the fuse. Then they will wait if its quick or return to re-energise.
I know we aren't meant to pull them and with modern cutouts its less risky, to be honest i wouldn't want to pull this one it looks old and well sealed with dirt and grime around the edge of the enclosure. far to risky and it looks like its never been pulled.

The prices they charge are as follows(taken from there website)
What do you guys think of the prices? are they pretty much standard across the country?

I was hoping that given the age of the cut out / head they might swap it out, but no such luck they are of view its perfectly fine! then i could have fitted the isolator at the same time.

 

[Pete999]

Got to pay the CEO his fat Bonus every year somehow

 

[buzzlightyear]

ask your customer to arrange it

 

[SparkyChick]

Is any part of the DNOs or suppliers equipment unsafe? Loose tails at the meter? Loose tails at the CU?

If you have a dangerous situation, I've found them to be very accommodating in terms of doing it for free.

 

[westward10]

£60, bit of vat seems reasonable to me.

 

[buzzlightyear]

cost nothing if you do it your self!

 

[Midwest]

Or £160 (+vat) to install an isolator, at customers expense of course. Just as an aside issue, does your DNO have a policy on electricians removing said fuse?

 

[Rpa07]

Groundhog Day - "I got you babe"

 

[buzzlightyear]

if you are adding extra loading on the customer side more juice
the more monies that they charge you then it should be free.

 

[Gavin John Hyde]

Is any part of the DNOs or suppliers equipment unsafe? Loose tails at the meter? Loose tails at the CU?

If you have a dangerous situation, I've found them to be very accommodating in terms of doing it for free.

I have tried that one already, was hoping given age they might replace the head. but they are happy to leave it in place. they sent an engineer out to have a look and he gave things a gentle tug to be sure... seems customer is going to have to pay for the fuse to be pulled.

 

[buzzlightyear]

let you customer pay for it, their the ones that need it
if I'm doing a c/u change I then tell the customer to get the dno to put a
isolator in for me to change the c/u or added c/u.

 

[DPG]

I have tried that one already, was hoping given age they might replace the head. but they are happy to leave it in place. they sent an engineer out to have a look and he gave things a gentle tug to be sure... seems customer is going to have to pay for the fuse to be pulled.

Shame he couldn't have visited while you were there - he could have pulled the fuse and done his checks while you put the isolator in. They've had to visit twice now and still only got paid one call-out.

 

[Jack McKenna]

Prices seem ridiculous to me. Last month I had British Gas out to de-energise, fit isolator, re-energise. Cost £35 inc VAT

 

[telectrix]

Prices seem ridiculous to me. Last month I had British Gas out to de-energise, fit isolator, re-energise. Cost £35 inc VAT

that's a sensible charge. did it include the isolator or was that supplied by you?

 

[Spoon]

Prices seem ridiculous to me. Last month I had British Gas out to de-energise, fit isolator, re-energise. Cost £35 inc VAT

That's good. Unusual to hear anything good about BG...
Do you pay anything on a monthly bases so that you can call them out whenever you want?? you know what I'm getting at... (They will come out and fix things straight away as long as you have joined their scheme where you pay £20 a month.... )

 

[davesparks]

If you had set a standard charge to visit a property twice in one day to do a small task such as pull a fuse then refit it, bearing in mind each visit will have a certain amount of travelling time attached to it and a little bit of paperwork, what would you set the fee at?

 

[Jack McKenna]

that's a sensible charge. did it include the isolator or was that supplied by you?

Isolator was supplied by BG, all part of the cost!

That's good. Unusual to hear anything good about BG...
Do you pay anything on a monthly bases so that you can call them out whenever you want?? you know what I'm getting at... (They will come out and fix things straight away as long as you have joined their scheme where you pay £20 a month.... )

Not that I am aware of. I know the charges differ for different areas so I just assumed it was a cheaper area for whatever reason. That being said, the client could well have been on some kind of scheme. I'll try find out

 

[TAZ]

Each DNO seem to have their own ideas when it comes to charging the last one I asked the customer to arrange for this to be done was free of charge. I have in the past been charged £31 pounds by one DNO & £80 by another

 

[Jim Cartledge]

British Gas came to my house to fit a 'Smart Meter' - fitted a 2 pole isolator (free of charge) at the same time.