Which electric meter for emergency lighting

[Guest Andreia Guilherme]

We live in a victorian house that was converted into two flats. Each flat has a share of the freehold so we are both landlords.

We recently had a fire risk assessment carried out on our communal areas, each are just a small entrance, a small landing and 2 flights of stairs, and we are now required to install emergency lighting, interconnecting fire detectors and manual fire call points. We had an electrician around today that noted that in order to perform the works, a landlord supply/meter is required for the devices to be plugged in to.

Is such a meter really required or can we "argue" that as we are both landlords we could choose one of the meters to be used for this purpose? Seeing that we are, as landlords, deemed responsible for the correct function of the security measures, it is without doubt in our interest to ensure that the meter would always be running

We would like to void having to contact the UK Power Network to provide a new service just for suppling power to a couple of fittings.

Thank you very much in advance.

Looking forward to hearing your advice.

Andreia

[Tom Sutton]

Who supplies and pays for the normal lighting in the common areas?

[Guest]

Each landing has a light fitting that is connected to the flat on that floor. So there is no "communal area" supply.

Meanwhile I spoke with London Fire Brigade and they actually accept the emergency lighting and fire detectors etc to be connected to one of the existing meters. They don't require this to be done with a landlord supply. Of course we need to agree between ourselves who will have the connection to these new elements. 

Just not sure if I must disclose this information to the company that did the fire risk assessment or if this is irrelevant to them? What do you think?

[Tom Sutton]

I can understand why the electrician wishes to connect to the common area supply (landlord supply) because it would be a guaranteed supply while the premises is occupied and it is more likely that a flat could become unoccupied which could interrupt the supply to the emergency equipment. 

But in your case I would assume a grade D smoke detectors and self-contained emergency luminaires connected to the lighting circuits, consequently you would not lose all the whole of the system if one flat isolated their supply. Most important the local fire and rescue service (Enforcing Authority) is in agreement with you and as you and your other freeholder are the Responsible Person’s (RP) under Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 it’s your decision, the fire risk assessor is only your advisor. 

It is up to you whether disclose this information to the company that did the fire risk assessment but I would assume they would stick by their report anyway and I would try to get proof of the statement made by the LFB.

Check out HOUSING – FIRE SAFETY Guidance on fire safety provisionsfor certain types of existing housing

[Guest]

thank you very much Tom for your help

really appreciated