Being forced to move electric meter & pay for it

[OQV]

I own a villa in the Old Quarter of town.  It was built around 12 years ago and is semi-detached.  The electric meter is a modern digital one on the side of the house by the front door (just within the garden).  The mains cable from the junction box in the street to my house and my neighbours burnt out for some reason a few weeks ago.  We had to pay for the street to be dug up and a new cable put in (fare enough I suppose).

However, the electric company say that there is a new rule just come in that the meters on non-detached properties have to be on the wall adjoining the street (this includes existing properties and not just new builds). We have delayed the work for now but they are insisting that we will have to pay them to move the electric meter to the side of the house.  Given the standard of work that they did on the cable replacement (leaving a junction box cover unsafe and vulnerable to water from rain or children sticking their hands on the 100Amp mains feed) they are likely to make a mess of channelling the cables along the walls and installing the new meter.  So it is likely that I'm also going to have to pay for the repairs to the external walls and repainting of the villa .

Has anyone else heard of this (if so then please let me know whether we have to have it done or pay) or are they trying it on?

Thanks in advance.
Si

Linkback: https://www.enjoykalkan.com/forum/index.php?topic=10035.0

[emma]

Sounds a bit odd Si, and Im sorry I dont have an answer to your question...

However - There was a power surge in the kitziltas area yesterday, i have had to replace 2 new conductors and some wiring that got burnt out, but apparently one of the villas in front of us is going to have to replace 3 air con's and all the appliances were blown as well!!!

Couple of thoughts ....

1) Is it usual / unusual to have power surges?, and if the tedas has got something wrong, ie it's their fault that these power surges are affecting properties. Then surley they are responsible? and they need to fix the problem quick.

2) Is this sort of problem something we can all claim on our villa insurance!?

[OQV]

Hi Emma,

Thank you for your response.  I don't know where we stand for appliances being damaged if there is a power surge.  I'm guessing that we take the hit or our insurance does.

The main concern I have is that the "Tedas" are saying that because of a new "rule" then all semi detached properties (new or old) must have their electric meter on the wall that is closest to the road.  My meter is on a side wall (still very accessible for them to read).  I don't understand this new rule or why. If it is true then I'm sure lots of other people would have heard of it as there must be hundreds of semi-detached properties affected but no one else has responded. It also seems odd that they are have not mentioned detached properties (why would they be different?).  They are insisting on doing this now but we have put them off until the season is over due to the inconvenience.  I am aslo not convinced and of course not pleased that I have to pay for this.  I am therefore going to see them next week as I want to their explanation and to see where it is written down!

I will let you know.

If anyone else has heard of this new rule then please reply.

[Cosetta]

Power surges are far fewer than a few years ago when the power company was not allocating sufficient electricity to Kalkan.  Until about 2008 - 2009 there were many power surges that often burned electrical appliances such as ACs.  We even had a small surge protector catch fire in our bedroom in the middle of the night.  I awoke to see flames shooting up!  Power surges are fewer now but still do happen.

Who pays for the burned appliances depends on whether you have taken out insurance for this type of event.  If you have included and paid the supplement in your home owner's policy, then you should submit a claim to them with proof that the appliance was burned due to high voltage.  We used our repair bill from Arcelik to make a claim the one time that 3 of our ACs burned out due to a surge of high voltage.  But they did not pay for the burned out cordless phone chargers and a few smaller items.

As our electric meter has always been on the roadside wall, I can't say whether it is a 'new' law or not but for sure the electric company is always looking for ways to increase your bill.

[OQV]

I’ve been to see the manager of Tedas today.  The new "law" is written down somewhere on their website though he wouldn't show me. This moving of the meters is apparently to improve the power supply, reduce power cuts and improve safety if there is a fire.  I told him that was bull s**t as there would still be a power cable, 100 Amp fuse and a meter as there is now the only difference will be that it will be on a different wall.

If we refuse to have it done they will simply cut off our power supply (they are not bothered about the lost income due to me I not being able to run up large monthly bills).  They say that Tedas will not do the work but I can't get my own contractor  to do it - I have to use their contractor which funnily enough is owned by the same company.

They are starting this on all affected properties in winter and starting from the harbour and moving up through the town forcing all properties to pay their contractor for the work.  He says that we can take them to court but they will cut off our power supply now knowing that the court will take 6 months to decide anything.

Basically, they have a license to print money and are legging us all over. Start saving….

[emma]

Thanks Cosetta ...

And Wow ... OQV

After your conversation with the tedas manager. I think we should try to rally together, the ex pats, villa owners, the managing agents, maybe get this info to KTLN, and ask as a whole for this issue to be raised at the next council meeting!!??

[OQV]

That's a good idea Emma.  Unfortunately, I've just had to return to the UK.  I'm surprised no one else has heard of it but I don't know how many will be affected. I'm guessing that this will be sprung on people over the winter.

Correction from me - the contractor doing the work will be Benli Elektrik who are not owned by Tedas (as far as I'm aware) but they were the Tedas chosen contractor to replace the burnt out mains feed. I'm sure they are pleased at all this new work coming their way.  Personally it worries me as they charged for the job but left it in a very dangerous state (they left a junction box 12 inches above ground on the street wall (basically where a child could easily get to it) with a large hole in it and the cover just hung on a nail.  They didn't rush to fix it until I wrote to them formally threatening to hold them responsible for any criminal or civil charges.