Advice on multiple16A external pedestal outlets Please

[hunter27]

Hi all
Hopefully an electrician can point us in the right direction here.
At the boat club site we have 10 power outlet points dotted around the site each consisting of an glassfibre meter box containing 1 coin meter, a consumer unit with a RCD and breakers, and 6 X 16A sockets fitted to the outside of the box.
This system has served us very well over many years providing power for small appliances, electric blankets, oil heaters or dehumidifiers (fan heaters are outlawed).

We are going to update this set up using a qualified electrician who's only suggestion was replacing all the boxes with pre built Rolec (or similar) pedestals but says we can only have 3 sockets per unit which is a lot less than we have now.



I don't know the current regs but could we not just replace the old meter box with a new one, fit the existing meter back and install a new consumer unit with RCBOs with the appropriate number of outlets determined by the SWA supply cable size.
Also has anyone heard of a prepaid meter card where you plug it in when you need power and when you unplug it it keeps your remaining credit on the card.
We would just like to look at all our options before giving him the go ahead.
Thanks for any help
Cheers pete

 

[Barking Mat]

Hiya,

The local port near us invested heavily in new systems like you're on about, pre paid cards for water and electricity, cost a fortune.

It was a disaster, after 6 months, they had no option but to override the card systems, and it's electricity and water on demand as before, but add an extra 100k euros for a system which doesn't work.

This was 5 years ago, they can't afford to redo it.

Stick to coins and update what you need to in the boxes.

 

[Barking Mat]

We run a 16 place pontoon, with water and electricity on demand, we just grab people at 8am who are plugged in and charge them a fiver for water and leccy per day. Maximum 48 hour stoppover.

 

[hunter27]

Hiya,

The local port near us invested heavily in new systems like you're on about, pre paid cards for water and electricity, cost a fortune.

It was a disaster, after 6 months, they had no option but to override the card systems, and it's electricity and water on demand as before, but add an extra 100k euros for a system which doesn't work.

This was 5 years ago, they can't afford to redo it.

Stick to coins and update what you need to in the boxes.

Hi barking mat thanks for your reply
I agree with you completely but what I want to try and confirm.
Do we have to go for these pedestal units or is it still acceptable with current regulations to fit external glassfibre meter boxes with a meter and a new consumer unit in it ?