Posted By Jennifer Kelly
We have had an incident of 'burning' at one or our shops (charity sector). The electrician sent out to investigate the incident spoke to our surveyor and explained that the burning was due to a problem between the connector block of EDF energy and the connection from the consumer side onwards.

I am trying to ascertain where, and to what extent, our responsibilities are in this particular incident. The surveyor, following his conversation with the electrician, is of the opinion that the fault originated in the:

"small cross-over area of 'no man's-land' between the internal wiring (our responsibility) and the external wiring (EDF's responsibility".

I don't know whether this surveyor is talking rubbish or has actually identified an area where responsibility is not clearly demarcated and therefore could have implications for our other shops.

All thoughts or comments are very welcome and I would add that the shop in question has it's Fixed Electrical Installation test in the past 12 months.

Regards

Jennifer

Posted By Bob Shillabeer
I am not an electrician, but my understanding is the energy supplier is responsible for all equipment to the supplier side of the meter. From there on it's down to the owner of the premises. There is and can be no 'No-Mans' land. Suggest you get a better advisor

Posted By Robert K Lewis
Jennifer

Your energy supply company will be absolutely clear about this - their responsibility ends at, and includes the main fuse, after that it is down to the customer. For them there is no grey area.

I am a little puzzled about your test not picking this up although it is possible for it not to have shown previously. Usually faults are slow building up until the final breakdown. I think you will need to make sure the aspect causing the problem is clearly and precisely identified in writing so that your electricians can check this out at other shops when they do any tests.

Bob

Posted By Robert K Lewis
Jim

You are right, it had slipped past me too, the meter is the final point before the consumer takes over. Having said that I seem to remember being charged by YE many moons ago when tha cable from the fuse to the meter failed. In either case there is no grey area and the surveyor's comments seem to be the real puzzle in all of this. Perhaps my cynical hat is getting overused but the verbiage suggests that some concern exists for a liability against the surveyor for a failing somewhere.

Bob