“The meter shall be fitted to a vertical surface and be placed in a position so that the register can easily be read by the customer without requiring the use of any equipment such as tools, ladders or a torch. Ideally the meter should be positioned adjacent to the consumer unit.”
A group has been developed to discuss the placement of generation meters, as the issue is gaining momentum. The group discussed generation meters being installed in loft spaces and in other inaccessible/unsafe areas. It is becoming apparent that, despite this guidance being enforceable some installers are not following the parameters outlined in this document. This then turns into an additional cost for suppliers to read the generation meters installed in an inaccessible/unsafe area.
MCS has asked that all FiT Licensees send through a list of the addresses that have an incorrectly installed generation meter. This list will then be divided and made specific for each certification body, and the certification body will be expected to investigate each of these cases as a non-conformity with the installation company. The information found at each investigation will be fed back to each of the FiT Licensees.
The group noted that there may be a conflict between what is required in the Metering Guidance, and what the consumer has asked the installer to do. In some cases the consumer may have specifically asked for the generation meter to be installed in the roof space. The group agreed that the installer should follow the metering guidance document in all cases and should not deviate from this regardless of what the consumer asks for.
To read the Metering Guidance document, please visit the MCS Standards section of www.microgenerationcertification.org