Dwight

Sorry Crossy, it's 230V between "neutral" (left side of Main breaker that connects to the neutral bar) and known earth. 0V between incoming "live" (right side of Main breaker that connects to the MCB busbar) and known earth. I could find a local spark to come swap it at the meter, but I got the tools, the time and since my CU is not one of those newer plug-on systems it seems easy enough to swap it on the outgoing side with the Main Breaker turned off. Thank you all for your help so far.

Ok guys, sorry for the delay but here are some photos from todays testing. I don't really have a lawn, but managed to find a crack in the concrete and stick my screwdriver down in the ground there. Poured some water in there too, hoping to get a decent earth. One of the photos is measuring between screwdriver in ground and the THW wire connecting to my earth rod. The other photo is measuring between screwdriver in ground and incoming neutral from meter. I assume that we can conclude that the incoming supply is indeed reversed? I am thinking to swap them around by simply disconnect the busbar and cut off the part that runs between the main breaker and first MCB. Then use some THW 10mm2 to connect the first MCB to L-out (left side) from the main breaker. And of course move the 2 green ones over to the right side of the main breaker instead. Sounds ok? Regarding the MEN-link I can't see the power poles on our street having an earth connection with regular intervals. Definitely not as often as every 2-3 poles for sure. I see a plastic pipe running down the side on 1 or 2 of them but hard to tell if it has do to with MEN since a few of the houses have their supply going under ground from the meter on the pole to the house. So I am thinking of leaving it as it is without the MEN connection in my CU for now. I will probably install a new CU with an RCD though. Just need to climb up and take a peak above the ceiling first to see what the situation is like with borrowed neutrals etc. In my CU the earth connections are being done behind the CU in the plastic wall box so you can't see the connection between the earth rod and the circuits earth in my photos. Also some neutrals are connected back there as well, I can't see any link between earth and neutral though.

Thanks all. Sorry to keep confusing you... My sketch was only a way for me to try to understand why a reversed neutral would give me these readings at the socket, nothing else. I already opened the CU and it was by measuring L-E there (incoming screws on main breaker to earth rod) that made me realize that my supply probably is reversed. I will do as Crossy said and confirm this by using his famous screwdriver method. I might have a neon screwdriver too, just have to find it.

Thank you all for explaining. I am at work at the moment so have not had time to look into it further yet. I will try to find a known earth to confirm that the incoming supply indeed is reversed. If they are, I will begin with swapping them in the CU after the main breaker. After that I will check the power poles to see if I can see any of them being earthed or not. My plan is then to install a new CU with new breakers and an RCD and perhaps even the MEN link if implemented in my area. I'm sorry for all questions, but I just really want to make sure that I understand this fully. Hope you don't mind. I've made a little drawing of how I understand your explanation for the reason to the measurements I am seeing. Is this what is going on in my circuits? With the neutral open (MCB off), and the live side still energized any load in the circuit is letting current pass so that I essentially get the same potential at both L and N in the socket where I am connecting my meter?????

Thank you for your replies. Sorry if I was not being clear, but the breaker I referred to was the circuit breakers for the individual circuits. The main breaker is a 2-pole breaker and works properly. When I turn the circuit breaker for any circuit off, it still shows 230V between both N-E and L-E. I just don't understand how a reversed L-N on the supply could possibly cause that?

Hi guys, I have a similar problem as mentioned in this thread . At any socket outlet in the house, if I turn the breaker off I measure 0V between L-N, 230V between L-E and 230V between N-E. With the breakers on, all measurements are normal. I was only able to take a quick look in the CU today (will investigate further tomorrow), and it sure looks like L-N is reversed from the meter since I have 230V between the Neutral bar and the earth cable that connects to the earth rod and 0V between earth and the MCB busbar. No MEN-link done inside the CU. In the thread I linked to it seems like the OP solved the issue by reversing L-N in the CU. Problem is I don't understand how a reversed L-N can give these measurements? Could someone help me understand please? Dwight