New meter connections

• Contract. The supply goes to market and a contract is agreed. Nothing downstream can start until this is done.
• Metering appointment. The supplier appoints the meter operator and data agents.
• Meter fit. The meter is installed and the supply energised.

The meter cannot be fitted into an unfinished position.

• Safe, permanent access to the meter position, with the site able to receive the engineer.
• The meter position itself complete: board, enclosure and any builder’s work finished.
• The correct isolation in place, and the incoming service terminated and live.
• Someone on site with authority to sign the work off.

A failed appointment costs the slot, not just the day. The next one is scheduled from the point of rebooking.

Site address and supply point number, the expected consumption and load, the legal entity taking the supply, and a contact who is actually on site.

The expected load matters more than people assume. A meter specified against the wrong load has to be changed later, at the site’s cost and on the metering agent’s timescale.

Almost always one of three things: the contract was not in place, so the metering appointment never started; the meter position was not ready on the day; or the entity taking the supply changed part way through and the contract had to be redone.

All three are avoidable and none of them are the meter operator’s fault.