Splitting supply without upgrading - any options?

[Notthatbright]

Hi all, I'd be grateful for some advice, please excuse me if I don't get the terms correct.

A property I manage was originally one house, then split into two flats some years ago, each flat with their own supply and meter. The upper flat over 2 floors has since been split into 2 separate flats, both using the same supply and with a slave meter added for the new flat. After the split of the flats the owner (also the freeholder of the building) sold the flat with the supply and both meters in it, and kept the new one. New owner of the flat is unhappy about the setup, and calculating meter readings etc. and complains to the freeholder. Freeholder approaches supplier and is told the only solution is 3 new supplies with associated groundworks, big costs, and potentially invasive work inside the ground floor flat that has nothing to do with this.

Is the supplier right that this is the only solution?

 

[UNG]

So you originally have 2 flats each with their own supply and meter and then the upper flat was split into two flats with the electricity supply from the original upper floor flat supplying one flat which has a meter and the supply to the new flat is sub metered from the upper floor flats supply
I'm not sure why you need to calculate meter readings as they are what they are as the meter shows the only calculation needed would be to apportion the standing charge although issues may get complicated if an E7 tariff is involved
Without knowing the current layout and supply arrangement it is difficult to give a definitive answer but your information would suggest you only need one new supply for the sub metered flat which will be billed by whichever supply provider you choose to purchase electricity from

 

[Notthatbright]

So you originally have 2 flats each with their own supply and meter and then the upper flat was split into two flats with the electricity supply from the original upper floor flat supplying one flat which has a meter and the supply to the new flat is sub metered from the upper floor flats supply
I'm not sure why you need to calculate meter readings as they are what they are as the meter shows the only calculation needed would be to apportion the standing charge although issues may get complicated if an E7 tariff is involved
Without knowing the current layout and supply arrangement it is difficult to give a definitive answer but your information would suggest you only need one new supply for the sub metered flat which will be billed by whichever supply provider you choose to purchase electricity from

Thanks UNG for the quick reply.

The meter situation as I understand it is that Flat 2 has both meters in it, and at the end of each month Flat 2's owner gets 1 bill for both flats. He then has to apportion Flat 3's usage and hope that Flat 3 will pay their share. Flat 2 can't 'sell' the electricity to Flat 3, so there's no contract of any sort.

When the freeholder approached the supplier to ask about a new supply in the way you mention he was told that now there are 3 flats, with 3 sets of occupiers, 3 kitchens in use etc., the supply to the building would need to be upgraded to cope. I think I understand the logic behind this, but just wondered if there were other options.

 

[UNG]

The meter situation as I understand it is that Flat 2 has both meters in it, and at the end of each month Flat 2's owner gets 1 bill for both flats. He then has to apportion Flat 3's usage and hope that Flat 3 will pay their share. Flat 2 can't 'sell' the electricity to Flat 3, so there's no contract of any sort.

So if flat 3 is sub metered off flat 2 then the only part of the bill that needs to be apportioned is the standing charge as the metered use cannot be disputed, if flat 3 doesn't pay then it would not be unreasonable for flat 2 to disconnect the supply

When the freeholder approached the supplier to ask about a new supply in the way you mention he was told that now there are 3 flats, with 3 sets of occupiers, 3 kitchens in use etc., the supply to the building would need to be upgraded to cope. I think I understand the logic behind this, but just wondered if there were other options.

So what supply changes has the freeholder asked for or what supply requirements has the supplier assumed the building / each flat needs, leading on from that has the split of the upper floor flat fundamently changed the load requirements on the existing supply.
Without some detail and / or pictures of the existing supply arrangements and flat loads and the proposed new supply arrangment it is difficult to advise on possible options.
In circumstances like this I would suggest getting an experienced electrician in who can talk with the DNO / supplier at a technical level to discuss the best viable cost effective option for all involved