Getting separate ESB meters

SwordofLight · 20-02-2020 10:36pm #1

Hi all,

Saw a house which has been split into two flats and wondered how difficult it would be to get two separate meters installed as would be a nightmare splitting bills

Any ideas?

ted1 · 21-02-2020 8:27am

Depends on how the wiring is currently done does each flat have its own fuse board ( consumer unit )

If not you’d have to rewrite the while place.
After you get a meter each unit would have to pay a standing charge so that’s an extra 100 euro a year for three of the unit.

Sleeper12 · 21-02-2020 8:39am

As Ted says above. Also worth checking out as the heating might have the same issue. Could be one heating system & one shared hot water tank shared between upstairs and downstairs

SwordofLight · 21-02-2020 7:36pm

Ah seems like there's a lot of cost to it, re-wiring probably a few thou.

Buzwaldo · 21-02-2020 11:20pm

As previous posters said, it’s not so simple.
I was involved in a similar situation not that long ago, getting separate meters for a house and attached commercial building which had previously been on one.
Before getting a new connection (meter) the electrician has to certify that each property was in line with current standards, which are more exacting than applied when built 25 years ago. It involved partial rewiring and upgrades to both properties. Cost quite a pretty penny at the time, much more than was initially envisaged.

Ubbquittious · 22-02-2020 7:34pm

Might be better to throw in one of these yokes to measure the power consumption of the 2nd flat. Better than getting a separate MPRN and paying the ESB through the nose and PSO levy

https://www.hagerelectro.com.au/e-catalogue/energy-distribution/light-and-energy-management/energy-metering/kilowatt-hour-meters-energy-meters/ecn140d/42551.htm

Claw Hammer · 03-03-2020 1:33pm

Before getting involved in that situation, you should also check the planning situation with regard to the house. There may be no planning permission for the conversion.

Ubbquittious · 04-03-2020 11:51pm

Claw Hammer wrote: »

Before getting involved in that situation, you should also check the planning situation with regard to the house. There may be no planning permission for the conversion.

Feck sake.

You need planning permission to move the telly to another room these days. And to think a few short decades ago you could throw up a 1:1 replica of the empire state building in your back garden if you felt like it

Claw Hammer · 05-03-2020 1:20pm

Ubbquittious wrote: »

Feck sake.

You need planning permission to move the telly to another room these days. And to think a few short decades ago you could throw up a 1:1 replica of the empire state building in your back garden if you felt like it

That was many decades ago.

Tina Hynes · 15-03-2022 11:10am

please help…… My MIL (an OAP) wants to get her own esb meter installed in her bungalow… wants her own bill. ( daughter etc coming to live with her). Currently we pay bill and she contributes.as the meter is on our farm building . She was quoted € 3,900 to install a separate meter and told an electrician would have to rewire her house at her own expense . She does not have this sort of money to spend. Is there anything she can do to get this done cheaper . Thought they would do it for free at her age ! Any help or guidance appreciated. .

L1011 · 15-03-2022 11:13am

Basically - no.

New meter will not be installed unless the wiring meets spec, which wiring on an older house will not. That would have to be done by a private sector electrician. And the ESBs charge for a new install is based entirely on their costs and doesn't vary for age etc.

Paul_Mc1988 · 15-03-2022 11:13am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118787170#Comment_118787170

No is the answer.

Claw Hammer · 15-03-2022 12:15pm

There are devices you can install relatively cheaply which will measure local consumption of part of an installation. It is the only way to avoid a rewire unless you go for coin meters but i doubt any electrician will do that.

Paul_Mc1988 · 15-03-2022 12:22pm

And where do you install it. A lighting circuit might cover two parts of the bungalow. Same with a socket circuit. The bungalow would need to be rewired to separate the circuits

Sleeper12 · 15-03-2022 2:05pm

Getting the ESB to connect a separate meter is expensive & home may need to be rewired.

There is a thing called a landlord meter. This is installed on the supply going to the bungalow. You could ask in the electrical forum if there are any wiring regulations that might cause an issue but I don't think so. Basicly Everything is the same. One ESB meter & one bill. The LL meter tells you how much electricity is being used in the bungaglow. One ESB bill arrives & Bungalow knows how much they have used

Ray Palmer · 15-03-2022 6:28pm

While it is correct to say rewiring would be required it may not be as a massive deal as suggested here. If it involves different floors on a house it is considerably easier.

The bungalow sounds like it may never had a domestic connection hence the huge charge. There are consumption units available which would probably be the cheapest and easiest option but won't be able to apply for many schemes without a proper domestic connection

sportsfan90 · 16-03-2022 7:41am

I'm going to piggyback on this thread if that's ok.

What would you need to separate a farm and house which are currently under one ESB meter?

Are we talking rewiring the entire house and farm sheds etc to get it signed off? Or is it be possible to keep them under one meter and to get a device to measure what's going into the house only and subtract that from the meter reading to get what's being used on the farm?

Ray Palmer · 16-03-2022 9:05am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118791942#Comment_118791942

I know a bit about electrical work but not on how farms are set up. Is a farm supply not a higher grade (3 phase) and a different rate? Not sure about tax liability and accountancy practices for a single meter on what s both business and domestic. Fuel allowances and energy grants will require a metre number and not sure how that would work with a supply that is also a business.

You can put a private meter to see consumption on any part of the supply going to a circuit so could do for an entire house or even a particular out building

sportsfan90 · 16-03-2022 11:27am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118792059#Comment_118792059

Thanks for your reply.

Tbh I know very little on electrical work and how these things are set up.

In this situation, they'll be living in the house but leasing out the farm. So if the person taking the lease will be milking cows or other high electricity activities, the current setup would have it all going to a single meter and significant electricity bill.

So maybe that single private meter you mentioned to the house might be a solution and charge the remaining back to the person leasing the farm buildings.

mistress_gi · 21-09-2023 7:34am

Apologies for resurrecting this thread! But I'm in a similar position, i have an granny flat i would like to rent out and there's only 1 electricity and one gas metter. There's a separate circuit board, 2 gas boilers etc.

I was wondering if anyone went ahead with the split and how much did ulit end up costing?

Getting separate ESB meters

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