I live in a duplex converted to a single-family residence. It is served by two electricity drops going to two meters connected to two circuit breaker boxes. The boxes are on the exterior wall and about eight inches apart.
Each month I write two checks. (I tried writing one check for both bills; one account ended up with a credit and I got a disconnect notice for the other. Go figure.). Even if I use NO power, there's still a minimum bill, around $18/month. The power company still has to read the meter, send out a zero bill, keep records, etc. I don't begrudge them this minimum amount, but there might be a way to avoid it.
I'm thinking of pushing all the power through one meter and disconnecting the service for the other side of the duplex. I did this with the natural gas connection and saved the $17.50 minimum monthly charge.
To do this, my current scheme is a pair of 60-amp breakers in the powered box leading to the buss on the disconnected side (plus the neutral).
Both breaker boxes are rated for 200-amp service, but the largest load are the a/c units and they're each served by a pair of 30-amp breakers. All other electrical items are minimal - lighting, computer, etc. Stove, dryer, and water heater are all gas.
Comments on the plan/scheme would certainly be welcome. Thanks.
P.S. I'd be doing the work myself, so a possible $800 charge for a licensed, certified, and disease-free professional electrician would not enter into the computation.