Question re outside EDF meters for electricity

[tenniswitch]

I have a couple of questions that don't fall neatly into any forum, but this one seems to get a lot of questions about EDF billing, etc., so here goes.

Although we're usually in France in May and June, we are never there in December.  For our 1st house, we've always left a key with a neighbor, who lets in the meter readers for electricity and water.  For our 2nd house, we haven't done this, expecting to use the EDF website to register our usage in December.

Well, somehow, I either missed the correct link on the EDF website, or else I checked on the wrong dates, and we've been billed for far less than our actual consumption.  While this might be dandy in the short run, I'd really prefer that our billing (we pay biannully) would be closer to reality.

So, how expensive is it to have an external meter installed?  And second, would I have any choice re where the meter was placed?  The current meter and electric panel are just inside our front door, and I'm not really dying to have a meter at that particular location on the outside.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Mer

[giantpanda]

Hi!

Sorry bad start for the new Year.

Do you mean to say that you have no counter?

You can register here.

http://www.edf-bleuciel.fr/accueil/j-ai-besoin-d-energies/electricite-141685.html

But :if it is the case :

1. You cannot register for a month or so.

2. Since you be needing a new counter - normally one takes over the last person counter - that will mean high costs - Nobody can tell you how much that will cost, because it depends on the location. It can cost over Euro 1000. And that will not necessary done, from one day to another.

3. Further, what you have not counted on, new counter means that your whole electrical installation has to be rechecked by a " consuel", and for old premises, that can mean that much of the wiring may have to be one by a qualified ( best French ) electrician.

http://www.consuel.com/

Yours,

giantpanda

PS. What about water or  and gas?? and possibly telephone/internet?

[Baz]

[quote user="tenniswitch"]

So, how expensive is it to have an external meter installed?  And second, would I have any choice re where the meter was placed?  The current meter and electric panel are just inside our front door, and I'm not really dying to have a meter at that particular location on the outside.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Mer

[/quote]

It is some years since I have had this done so you will have to ask EDF about the price. There would be no need to move the meter from its current position all that happens is they run a wire to the outside of your property and a small box (about 5cm sq) is attached. The meter reader then just points his meter at the box and your readings are taken.

Baz

[Boiling a frog]

Just ask EDF to install an electronic reader outside on the wall. Costs in the region of 100€ .

[tenniswitch]

[quote user="giantpanda"]Hi!

Sorry bad start for the new Year.

Do you mean to say that you have no counter?

You can register here.

http://www.edf-bleuciel.fr/accueil/j-ai-besoin-d-energies/electricite-141685.html

But :if it is the case :

1. You cannot register for a month or so.

2. Since you be needing a new counter - normally one takes over the last person counter - that will mean high costs - Nobody can tell you how much that will cost, because it depends on the location. It can cost over Euro 1000. And that will not necessary done, from one day to another.

3. Further, what you have not counted on, new counter means that your whole electrical installation has to be rechecked by a " consuel", and for old premises, that can mean that much of the wiring may have to be one by a qualified ( best French ) electrician.

http://www.consuel.com/

Yours,

giantpanda

PS. What about water or  and gas?? and possibly telephone/internet?


[/quote]

We have the previous owner's meter, although we've had the house completely rewired, and we had EDF send someone out last spring to increase our limit.  I'm just wondering if it's worth the trouble to have EDF install a box outside so that they can take a reading without coming in.  If it's going to look too ugly or be too expensive, I guess we'll just continue with what we've got.

I rather doubt that we could have an outdoor water meter installed without significant expense as the house is built on a slope, and the present (indoor) meter is actually below street level.

We have no gas lines and there's no problem with our telephone and ADSL services.  I turn the phone on and off via internet from the US.

Thanks, everyone, for your responses.

[Anton Redman]

The exterior box is about 6 cms say 2.5 inches in size and requires a small hole, to take some telephone gauge wire through the wall. The meter remains inside the property and the box is read via an induction pad and computer.

[Punch]

[quote user="Anton Redman"]The exterior box is about 6 cms say 2.5 inches in size and requires a small hole, to take some telephone gauge wire through the wall. The meter remains inside the property and the box is read via an induction pad and computer.[/quote]

It's called a "boitier téléreport " and is linked to the new kind of white electronic digital meters. Cost for EDF to install used to be around 200€ from memory of the last one I organised ,( free/included) on new installations.

 

[Nelson]

When we purchased our house in France we had an electrician rewire it. At the same time he organised for EDF to upgrade supply change meter and at their insistence install one of these readers as the house was now a holiday home. All the work done by EDF was free of charge. (were we just lucky)

regards colin

[tenniswitch]

[quote user="Nelson"]

When we purchased our house in France we had an electrician rewire it. At the same time he organised for EDF to upgrade supply change meter and at their insistence install one of these readers as the house was now a holiday home. All the work done by EDF was free of charge. (were we just lucky)

regards colin

[/quote]

I think you were.  The website says free for new installations only.  Probably my electrician could have organized it when he redid our wiring, but, unfortunately it didn't occur to him and the EDF didn't insist (they may not have realized that it would be a maison secondaire).