Q & A of the Day – Correct length of meter tails

Question: I have just carried out some work on a property, and when obtaining the information necessary to complete the certificate, I noted that the distance from the REC cut-out to the consumer unit (length of meter tails) was over 5m. I believe that this is too long. On mentioning it to the property owners, they said that another electrician had also commented on this.

It would be extremely difficult to move either the cut-out or the consumer unit, so is there any other way to resolve this? Would putting in a two-pole MCB be acceptable?

Answer: As you indicate, the length of the meter tails is excessive in this instance. In general, a length of 3m is deemed to be acceptable. Lengths greater than this would require a circuit protective device - eg: a double-pole circuit breaker to be introduced to protect the tails. This is normally fitted at the supply position.

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