Charged for moving an ONT due to disability?

[#1]

Hello,

I've just spoken to someone at Openreach, and they couldn't quite confirm something here regarding an ONT movement.
When I moved into my house almost 3 years ago I quickly arranged to have FttP installed as the previous tenant had Virgin. OpenReach turned up and installed the ONT when I wasn't there, and without consulting my wife (who was). So they installed in directly next to the Virgin box in the corner of the living room. I guess that makes sense, however because the OpenReach engineer didn't ask, he didn't know that the living room is to be converted into a joint bedroom/wetroom for my disabled child. It should have been installed on the right hand side of the house, as opposed to the left, because the hall is on the right.

The lady I spoke to at PN said that if the ONT had to be moved due to it being in a wetroom, then it wouldn't be a billable charge. However I can't have the wetroom installed *because* the ONT is in the way. So I'm in a catch 22 situation here, and I'm basically having to pay for something that honestly I don't think that I should.

Please can someone at PN verify this?
Thanks.

[#2]

There are two different questions:

1. Will Openreach charge to move an ONT - a Google query (see below) affirms they will - it is no different to moving a master socket it takes time and resources 
2. Will one’s ISP pass on those charges to the end user - that is less clear

Yes, Openreach will charge to move an ONT box. It is a chargeable engineer visit (often referred to as an ONT shift) that typically costs between £100 and £160, depending on your exact internet service provider. [1, 2, 3, 4]

The relocation process involves the following key steps:

• Contact Your ISP: You cannot book this directly through Openreach. You must contact your broadband provider (e.g., BT, Sky, TalkTalk, Vodafone), and they will raise an "FTTP modify" request with Openreach on your behalf.
• Understand the Cost: Your provider will pass the Openreach fee onto you. While some users report paying roughly £100 for a simple shift, others have seen quotes and standard administration fees range up to £160.

Why do you think you should not be charged … or to put it another way, who do you expect to cover the cost of you choosing to change how you use your property … whatever the circumstances might be?

This needs to be thought of as a cost consequential to the change of use of your property.  If you were not changing its use, the ONT would not need to be moved.  Given that whoever was present during the installation did not say “you cannot put that there”  the change of use of the room was not planned at that time.  Therefore this is a new requirement arising subsequent to the installation and cannot be deemed a fault of the installer.

[#3]

I'm not quite sure that you've understood my initial post.

OpenReach themselves would pay for the cost. This has already been confirmed.

The ONT needs moving because it'll be in area with water, that much is obvious.

But the problem is this:

If the wetroom was installed on 1st June, and the ONT moved on the 2nd, they wouldn't charge me.

If the ONT was moved on the 1st June, and the wetroom installed on the 2nd, they would.

Literally the same job eitherway as far as OpenReach is concerned.

Also, this isn't exactly a "choice" on how to use my property; my child is a physically disabled, wheel chair user. Unless you're suggesting that they just live downstairs without a bathroom for the rest of their lives?

[#4]

@Lutzieplus 

I suspect that what ‘the lady from Plusnet’ meant was if Openreach had erroneously installed the ONT in a wet room, then they would move it free of charge.
This is different to you needing to convert the space where the ONT is located into a wet room. Presumably there are electrical sockets that will also need moving.

[#5]

Nope, no electrical sockets. I have to run an extension lead over to the corner where the ONT is, and that socket is in the section of the living room which will become the bedroom, not the wetroom.

[#6]

When it was installed, was the ONT installed next to some power sockets, or did it require the use of an extension lead to power it at the time of installation?

 As far as i know the ONT should be installed adjacent to a power socket, unless someone expressly states otherwise

[#7]

Moderators Note

This topic has been moved from Full Fibre to My Account / Billing.