Meter socket

[Grigori Rasputin]

The cover on the meter socket is missing. I don't know how long it's been off. The lead seal is missing that shows it hasn't been tampered with. There are tracks in the yard that look like the electric company has been next to the pole. It's been since last October since They fixed the street light, and these tracks look like only a few days old. I wonder if they're screwing with me?

I'm worried they're going to pull my meter without telling me and accuse me of tampering with the meter. I called them today to see if they had a cover, but they said I need to get one from an electrician. I've heard of them screwing people over by pulling the meter when they thought someone tampered with it, and as long as that lead seal is gone, they could claim I tampered with it. They didn't ask my name so maybe they won't know it's missing, until I can replace it.

I'm going to try and get a new cover Monday. If I have to get an electrician to replace the box and conduit, how much appx. do you think an electrician will charge for labor? He would probably put in new wire too.

Home depot has the socket for $23.63, 125 AMP ringless-horn bypass. The conduit wouldn't be much, I could buy those, and probable save money, instead of getting them from the electrician.

I'm enclosing a link with a picture of the meter and socket, do you think that socket at home depot would work?

This is really not a good time for me to have a new expense.

Tomorrow I'm going to walk around the property and across the road to see if I can find the old cover. We've had a lot of wind here, but the cover hasn't had problems in the last three and a half decades, until now.

[gfretwell]

Go to a real electrical supply with that picture and any numbers you can find on the meter enclosure. They may just have the cover. Put the cover an and try again with LCEC.

[hrhofmann]

On Saturday, February 17, 2018 at 10:38:57 PM UTC-6, Grigori Rasputin wrote :

Call your power company again and tell them what happened and that you are worried that someone could get hurt and would they please come out ASAP. I f you are polite and pleasant they should not cut off your power as that wo uld be causing possible harm to the residents of the house,

[gfretwell]

Bad advice. The PoCo does not own that meter can, he does and they might just cut the drop if he tries to play the safety card. It is much better to just replace the cover and call for a new seal. If his usage has been consistent and doesn't spike after it is sealed they usually say no harm no foul.

[Dean Hoffman]

I don't know about the meter sockets in town. The utility owns the ones out in the country for the few utilities I've dealt with. They wire the topside and the customer is responsible for the bottom side. The power company puts the meter in after the customer's wiring is done inside the meter.

[Terry Coombs]

  Out here where I live we own everything from the weather-head on . Power company ownership ends where the wire from the pole connects to my wiring .

[hubops]

The power company will own the meter on a residential service and they really do not tolerate any tampering. Certain safety/emergency situations will be forgiven, maybe ..

The customer will own the meter base, stack, and wires usually.

John T.

[Terry Coombs]

  Ah , you're right , the PoCo does own the meter itself . Any time I've had to remove the meter , I've called and told them what I'm doing and why . Never had a problem doing it that way .

[gfretwell]

That is very unusual but it really depends on where the utility declares the service point to be. Usually it is the crimp at the end of the drop, before it goes down to the meter. If I read the OP's picture right he is with Lee County Electric Coop (based on the LCEC on the meter) and that is certainly the case here. FPL gave me my meter can (not always the case) but I was still required to wire it and the wire was sized to the NEC, not the NESC like the drop. On an underground service lateral, the service point will usually be at the street.

[trader_4]

u are worried that someone could get hurt and would they please come out AS AP. If you are polite and pleasant they should not cut off your power as t hat would be causing possible harm to the residents of the house,

That's how it works here, NJ. And I think you had the best advice, ie take a pic of the box to an electrical supply and see if they have a cover or new box that he could remove the cover from to use.