Electric meter inspection & repair questions & answers.

Page top photo: a free-standing electric meter and base panel outdoors in Port Angeles WA, USA.

This article series discusses the visual inspection of electrical meters & meter bases & explains how to estimate the electrical service size, (or "electrical power" or "service amps") at a building by visual examination of the service entry cables, electric meter and meter base, electrical service panel, main switch, & other details.

Electric Meters & Meter Base FAQs

These questions and answers about electric meters and meter bases were posted originally

at ELECTRIC METERS & METER BASES - topic home, so please be sure to also review the information given there.

Visual inspection of the electric meter and use of digital multimeters(DMMs), Volt-ohm meters (VOMs), neon testers, and electrical inspection safety are discussed here along with tips on how to read an electric meter and how to read a smart meter or digital electric meter.

[Click to enlarge any image]

On 2021-07-06 by (mod) why do I have to pay to have my electric meter inspected?

@Prettygirl,

Thank you for a helpful question: why does my electric meter have to be inspected before the electrical power company will turn my power on?

I can but guess, as we haven't a shred of information about your electrical installation, not even the country and city where you're located,

but most-likely the electrical utility's meter-reader or inspector found an unsafe-condition
OR
you had new electrical work done at the property

so the work must be inspected and accepted as both safe and electrical-code-compliant before the electric utility company will turn power back on to your home.

This is to protect you from being killed by electrical hazard or fire.

But before trekking down to city hall, you might call your light company to ask what's up: have they seen something that needs repairs, or improper work or something else that means you need to hire a licensed electrician to fix something before the equipment should be inspected?

On 2021-07-06 by Prettygirl

Light company told me that i have to go dwon to city hall pay to get a inspector to get my meter inspected then he will give me some type of certificate and with that im Suppose to send it to my light company so i can get my power restored.
What dose all this mean?

On 2021-03-22 by danjoefriedman (mod) - how do I know that my electric meter is inaccurate and needs replacement ?

@SIDNEY SKINNER, thanks, that's a good question: how do I know that my electric meter is inaccurate and needs replacement.

A crude answer:

1. Compare meter readings to know wattage consumption. This is crude because rated "wattage" on appliances is usually different from and often less than the actual rating, as may be true for some light bulbs, too. Try to construct a simple test of running just 1000 watts of lights or other appliances in your home - turn everything else off - for an hour. Compare meter readings before-and after that.

I would add these simple safe checks that a homeowner can perform:

2. Look at the electric meter. Is it falling off of the building, askew, showing frayed electrical wires? If so it needs repair or replacement.

Watch out: DO NOT TOUCH the meter, don't try to push it back in place nor to pull it off of the building. Doing so you could be shocked or killed.


3. Meter runs for no reason: if you turn off the main circuit breaker bringing power into your building, the meter should show ZERO electricity usage. If it doesn't, something's wrong.

4. Odd meter noises: I've found electric meters, old analog meters with moving parts, that were making a buzzing or grinding noise and that were in fact dying and needed replacement.

To give an accurate answer one would have to have an experienced electrician measure the actual current draw in the electrical panel and compare that with the meter readings. I'm not sure that a simple prophylactic "replace them all " is cost-appropriate.

An electrician can measure actual current draw at your panel in amps, voltage level, and can compute the watts usage per hour (presuming you keep everything that was on "on" during the test period and don't confound the test by switching some things on or off during the test). The actual measurement is compared with the meter reading.

https://www.rmema.org/ Rocky Mountain Electric Metering Association, an industry educator, suggests five criteria that would make you suspect the meter is bad and needs replacement:

1. Unlikely meter readings: A sudden spike in electricity bills - to which I add: most utility companies will include in your bill a graph comparing recent electricity usage with the usage in prior months or years. You need to take into account significant differences in weather (e.g. global warming may mean summers came earlier and were hotter each of the last few years - so you ran more A/C) but that's a better look that just a "sudden spike" since your meter may have been "off" for a long time: go back and compare not just the amount you paid (as electricity rates vary) but rather compare the KWH or kilowatt hours you used.

2. Meter malfunction indicator: For people who already have a new digital electric meter, check to see if it's displaying an ERROR message.

3. Broken meter: With at least some things running in your house (refrigerator, washer, A/C unit, lights) look at the meter. If its digital or old analog dials are not showing any movement then the meter isn't working (and you're stealing from your utility company).

4. Broken meter or meter connections: if your building has lost power and all of your neighbors have electricity there is a problem at your meter or main electrical panel. Call your electrician or your electric utility company for help.

5. Old electric meters are suspect? If, as you (Sidney) describe, you already know your electric meter is "old" (I'd say more than 20 years old but that's a somewhat arbitrary opinion) then you'd want to have the meter inspected and checked by an experienced electrician or by the utility company if they'll provide that service.


Watch out: don't expect electric meter readings to be precisely accurate. A number of conditions of electricity usage in buildings, including LED bulbs and some modern appliances, can produce variations in electrical current flow that can distort meter readings. You will find at least some complaints that new "smart meters" are sometimes inaccurate, causing an unexpected change in electric utility bills.

In 2017 a University of Twente Enschede in the Netherlands study reported significant errors in smart meter electricity readings that indicated much higher electricity usage than was actual.

Supporting research:

Domijan, A., E. Embriz-Santander, A. Gilani, G. Lamer, C. Stiles, and C. W. Williams. "Watthour meter accuracy under controlled unbalanced harmonic voltage and current conditions." IEEE Transactions on power delivery 11, no. 1 (1996): 64-72.

Abstract:
This work presents the results of phase I of the project on the accuracy of watthour meters when subjected to closely-duplicated real-world unbalanced harmonic voltage and current conditions. Such real-world conditions involved differences in voltage and current magnitudes as well as differences in the voltage and current total harmonic distortion levels of each phase. Tests were performed on a selected sample of nine three-phase and three single-phase watthour meters. Some results showed that under a particular set of unbalanced waveforms with harmonic conditions of I/sub THD/>80% and V/sub THD/>2%, the percentage errors exhibited by these meters ranged from -10.09% to +0.52%.

Etezadi-Amoli, M., M. Ghofrani, and A. Arabali. "Performance of advanced meters: Effects of different temperatures and loading conditions on meter accuracy." In 2014 IEEE PES T&D Conference and Exposition, pp. 1-5. IEEE, 2014.

Abstract:
An accurate electricity usage measurement is vital to utility company operations and customer relations. Electromechanical meters have long been used as the standard for reliable recording of customer usage. However, the process of manual meter readings and the age of some of the meters that are currently in use present possibilities of inaccuracies in determining customer electricity usage. Advanced meters are essential parts of electric utility system modernization in the transition to a smart grid. Accuracy enhancement of the meter reading is the primary driver for smart meter deployment in the United States.

This paper provides a statistical analysis of the meter accuracy results for a variety of test loads and conditions for an actual electric utility company. The work presents an independent third party accuracy testing of samples of residential electromechanical and advanced meters. The ANSI standard as well as the more stringent accuracy class performance criteria of ±0.2% are used to evaluate the electric meter performance. Effects of different temperatures and loading conditions on meter accuracy are investigated based on the test results.

Kong, Xiangyu, Yuying Ma, Xin Zhao, Ye Li, and Yongxing Teng. "A recursive least squares method with double-parameter for online estimation of electric meter errors." Energies 12, no. 5 (2019): 805.
Abstract
In view of the existing verification methods of electric meters, there are problems such as high maintenance cost, poor accuracy, and difficulty in full coverage, etc. Starting from the perspective of analyzing the large-scale measured data collected by user-side electric meters, an online estimation method for the operating error of electric meters was proposed, which uses the recursive least squares (RLS) and introduces a double-parameter method with dynamic forgetting factors λa and λb to track the meter parameters changes in real time. Firstly, the obtained measured data are preprocessed, and the abnormal data such as null data and light load data are eliminated by an appropriate clustering method, so as to screen out the measured data of the similar operational states of each user.

Then equations relating the head electric meter in the substation and each users’ electric meter and line loss based on the law of conservation of electric energy are established. Afterwards, the recursive least squares algorithm with double-parameter is used to estimate the parameters of line loss and the electric meter error. Finally, the effects of double dynamic forgetting factors, double constant forgetting factors and single forgetting factor on the accuracy of estimated error of el...

On 2021-03-22 by SIDNEY SKINNER

One resident's electrical meter in my HOA community was extremely faulty and was told it was very old. She had it replaced. Her electric bills return to a more normal range. Should I have mine replaced, i live down the street from her? The houses where built about the same time .

What about other houses that were built about the same time in this community, should they be replaced?
Thank you for your advise. I am a member of this HOA board and would like to make a recommendation to them. Sidney

On 2021-02-25 by (mod) - electric meter and SEC replacement frequency statistics

@Anonymous, I have not found electric meter and SEC replacement frequency statistics, and I suspect that there is very wide variation among buildings and their need for a replacement meter and service entry cable depending on factors such as

- building and electrical service age

- SEC cable type

- SEC cable and meter weather exposure and detailing such as water sealants at the meter top

But it is worth noting that in Florida,FPL - Florida Power and Light Co. has an ongoing program of replacing old electric meters with smart meters.

Below is an excerpt from the company's information on that topic:

Most FPL customers are provided with a communicating smart meter as the standard meter service. These meters communicate the same type of information that FPL previously collected through manual meter readings, but at more frequent intervals and over a wireless network.

This enables FPL to offer a number of additional benefits to customers. A non-communicating meter is available to eligible customers through FPL’s NonStandard Meter Rider Option. It is the older technology meter and is no longer in standard use by FPL.

from ELECTRIC METER CHOICE- FPL [PDF] Florida Electric Power & Light Co., - original source: "You have a choice of meter" Flordia Power & Light, https://www.fpl.com/smart-meters/pdf/meter-choice.pdf

On 2021-02-25 by Anonymous

does anyone know how frequently FP&L customers are forced to Replace meter base and 10 ft. of service entrance conductors?

On 2020-08-21 by Anonymous

Will meter change require a inspection inside the house also?

On 2020-05-11 by (mod)

I doubt it.

On 2020-05-11 by Ann

I had to get my meter box replaced, now I need it inspected. The box is outside my house, will the inspector have to enter my house.

On 2019-03-04 by Anonymous

Jody

You ask interesting questions. To answer it meaningfully you need an electrician on site to open the meter box and Raceway to actually see how your electric meters are connected. It would be unusual to run subordinate electric meters through the main one.

On 2019-03-04 by Jody

I have a total of 7 meters one being the main and the other six run off of it. The main meter reads that 2449 kwh used the total usage of the other is 3182 kwh how could this be?

On 2018-02-14 by Anonymous - how do I install an electric meter base

Orlanzo, with all due respect your question scares me.

Watch out: You really want to hire a licensed electrician; no homeowner who is not properly trained can nor should try to install an electric meter as ultimately it will involve handling live line voltage that can with the smallest mistake cause fire or death.

The electric utility drops power at the service entry

The electrician or in some jurisdictions the electric company employees mount the electric meter base at an appropriate height and location on the building, the service entry cables (SEC) are brought into the base, the entry cables between meter base and electrical panel main lugs are installed, the meter is plugged in and often locked or sealed with a security tab like the small tab shown below the meter in our photo, and then the utility company restores power to the overhead SEC.

On 2018-02-24 by orlanzo

what is the proper way to instuall a meter box

On 2018-02-14 by Anonymous

Daniel

A 120 volt electric meter is going to be designed for single phase current. A 240VAC meter will have connections for 2 phases


from reading the specifications of the Aclara website provider of smart meters for Con Ed I don't see any specification that would allow swapping between phase requirements

The company offers 1 phase 120 V and 2 phase 240 V
As well as other models.

A quick look through the Con Ed public information website about the plan to upgrade the smart meters did not provide detailed specifications about the meter models nor address questions about the concerns that some people have about electromagnetic fields associated with these devices.

On 2018-02-01 by daniel bailey

can a smart meter rated at 120 volts be used in a 240 volt system com ed claims all smart meters are rated at 400 volts i want to upgrade the panels to 120 /240 i realize i will have to rewire the meter fitting to make it compatible any additional info would be helpful

On 2017-10-04 by Jason loucks

Im looking to get an ampacity of a 7in round westinghouse meter base?

On 2017-01-04 by (mod) -

Re-Posting

AUTHOR:jerry (no email)
C

OMMENT:

Q: Are tenants in a multi-family residence required to have unrestricted access to their gas and/or electric meters which are located in a utility room with all the meters for the building?

The NEC code sections 110.26 and 240.24 discuss access to the electric utility room, but do not appear to require unsupervised tenant access. In fact 110.26 describes access by qualified persons to equipment behind a locked door is acceptable. In the case of this building only the gas meters are in the utility room; electric meters are located on the outside rear of the structure and are accessible to tenants without restriction.

It is my opinion that access to an otherwise code-compliant utility room may be via a locked door accessible on reasonable notice to a designated person --- manager, Management Company, building supervisor or owner-- for access to inspect the gas meters.

I have not found a requirement that direct tenant access to the front of that locked door via a dedicated stairway is required.

On 2016-10-31 by (mod) - Electric company says my meter box is pulling away from my house.

The electric company is completely right in my opinion; you may not find building code specifications for every possible field condition, failure, or unsafe condition, but the experience of your electric utility company, electricians, building inspectors, is that we don't need much movement to rip apart plumbing, gas or electrical connections: the result in the case of wiring could be a potentially fatal hazard: worse than losing power, someone could be electrocuted.

The usual cause of what you describe is soil settlement that pulls down a horizontal conduit or underground electrical feeder.

My photo shows an electric meter pulling away from the wall of a building in San Miguel de Allende in Guanajuato, Mexico.

In another electric meter movement photo near the top of this page just below the heading "A Broad View of Service Ampacity Determination Must Also Consider Electric Meters & Meter Bases" you can see that the meter box has pulled down nearly 2".

Your situation is less extreme. But we can't see inside the wall nor inside the meter box nor inside the electrical panel without additional disasembly and inspection.

Perhaps an electrician will find that to this point there's no actual damage but even if such inspection shows that no electrical connectors are not yet being stressed, both your electric company and I are worried that we cannot predict how much further settlement and movement will occur.

I understand that all of this is a lot of trouble. Sorry but that's how it is. The property owner in most jurisdictions is responsible for electrical system installation and repair costs from the mast-head downwards (or in your case upwards) - that is, from the point at which the electric company's wires reach the building onwards is your responsibility and cost.

Watch out: Take loose or moving electric meters seriously. I attended a building fire that started at the electric meter when the meter was pulled down and away from the wall.

The movement loosened a screw that had secured the meter box to the building. The screw fell into the box, shorted the incoming service entry wiring, and the house burned to the ground.

More details about this hazard are

at ELECTRIC METER & SEC SAFETY

On 2016-10-29 by Paula

I have underground utilities. Electric company says my meter box is pulling away from my house. I have been told to hire an electrician, pull electric permit , & have electrician call electric service to disconnect electricity.

There is only a small gap between the house & the box at the very top. . It is very secure, and will not even move with lots of pressure.

No naked wires. No danger. I was told the meter box belonged to me & my electricity will be disconnected if I don't comply. Is there a National safety code requirement that requires I repair this at my expense?

On 2016-03-03 by (mod) - of number of meters supported by a service drop

Anon:

I can't guess at an answer to the question of number of meters supported by a service drop - that will depend on

- the size of the service entry cable itself, along with related limits such as run length

- your local electrical code

- what your local utility company will accept

Of these the first is of course a physical limitation. But without wire size and a guide table from your utility, I don't know.

On 2016-03-03 by

May I know how many meter base should be installed in one line from meralco main source of power to the residential consumer? Everybody knows that the installed wire from the main post of meralco and to the residential post owned by meralco, but the meralco wire connected at the concrete post owned by the consumers. Did the Meralco may also connect another consumers at your line?

On 2015-09-15 by sr

I have a smart meter. For some reason unknown to me hydro removef the one I had and put it on another house. Before that I had an analog. My question is: I have a 60 amp service and use minimal hydro. Ie outside lights, laundry once a week, fridge. Heat with wood. Bbq and in winter use stove.

Myself and child. T.V. at night but not a lot no cable here. So they change the meter second time in a year and it reads that I have used 43789 kw. Os that even possible in 800 sq ft. Stumped here. whats going on?? I use about 4 to 8 kw a day.

Could the meter be digital but not a smart meter. Could it be 200 amp meter. It not making sense. What do you say?

On 2015-07-08 by Ivonne

I have a Westinghouse 200cl, 240v, 3w, 5 digits, Hialeah meter in my property. The meter reading is 08600 (last digit is half way rotating to 1)How do I interpret the numbers? What is my consumption base on this reading?

On 2015-07-06 by hatem

written on the meter 10-100 ,what does it mean?

On 2015-04-19 by (mod) - who is responsible for replacing the old rusty electric meters?

Scottie

Usually the building owner.

I don't know your country & city so I have to pass: the rules vary. In most jurisdictions the building owner is responsible for the cost of replacement of electrical meters and service entry wiring but of course has to

1. use an electrician to perform the work and

2. has to coordinate the drop and restore of power with the electric utility.

Typically the building owner supplies the meter base or "box" and the utility provides the actual meter that plugs into it.

The specifics of your obligations depend on the leases and local regulations. It's a question for your solicitor.

On 2015-04-18 by Scottie

We are the freeholders of a property where all the flats are owned on long leaseholds, who is responsible for replacing the old rusty electric meters?

On 2014-11-05 by jack kelly at >>>> jackiea0101@gmail.com - diagram or repair manual for Itron

P.S. inre Itron CL200 type C1 outflow of current is 1800 watts posted 7pm nov 4th 2014>>> Question : is there a circuit breaker inside the meter that could have been damaged when the "inside the house line grounded out ' ? Could the said circuit breaker be only partially 'on'>>>>thus only passing thru some of the current that feed into the meter from the pole ?

2nd question/notation : the two hot lines that just 'may' have lost some of their insulation casing (and thus may periodically share each other's current when the wind blows the line back and forth >>>eventually are bolted together at the house's BUS BAR (pursuant the electric code).

so a that point in the system the 2 said lines naturally 'share ' a current interface thru the bus bar that feed the main circuit breaker (which is beyond , and inside the house)the out flow portal of the meter) . Meter is mounted outside house .

so flow is >>pole to meter then to circuit breaker box bus bar then next to main circuit breaker switch then to inside house electrical line to electric .furnance.

we fixed a shorted line inside a house, by removing it from system.

Problem is : after removing bad line the current flowing out of the meter is barely 1800 watts. Need ur help to know why. Itron CL200 240volt 3W type C1 30ta 1.0h CA 0.5 fm 2s 60Kh Watthour electric meter.

Does anyone have a diagram or repair manual for Itron ?

There just may be a brif periodic touching of current between the two hot feed lines that come from the street pole and that feeds into the meter (very very small chance).

Would that account for the tragic loss of current flow out of meter ? meter 24/7 is only flowing at a max of 1800 (which is way way below its old normal flow).

Send us an email at jackiea0101@gmail.com client is elderly and handicapped, temps are very cold. there is no heat in her home. we are worried for her safety/life. THANKS !!!

On 2014-08-21 by (mod) -

Anon

Re-check the article ELECTRIC METERS & METER BASES where we've added details about meter creep and meters running backwards along with a link to the USDI article you'll want to read.

On 2014-08-21 by Anonymous

I have a Duncan and General Electric 3 phase meters running sometimes forward and sometimes backwards. These are not smart meters.

I've checked voltages, neutrals and connections. Can anyone help answer or have a remedy for these two meters. The other meters fed from the same source are running fine.

Question: squatters stealing electrical power, meter removed

(June 30, 2014) Lateefa said:

I live next door to swatters who was stealing electric service but has since had their outside meter removed by the local utility company.

These idiots have decided to go outside and re-open the seal that was put in place by the electric company and now were the meter was is all exposed, does this pose any danger to my home in any way? Thanks for reading.. Lateefa in Philly.

Reply:

Lateefa,

The squatters are exposing anyone who might touch their electrical meter or system to death by electrocution and of course are violating the law by theft of services.

The risk to your home might be an indirect one: the same carelessness that leads someone to hot-wire an electric meter to steal power may show up in other electrical system modifications that in turn risk both shock and fire. If the building catches fire neighbors are also at risk.

While no one likes to be a squealer, we certainly cannot condone stealing nor the risk of harm to neighbors. A call to the electric utility should lead that company to come to inspect the site for safety and if appropriate, drop electrical power at the pole or take other means to assure the system is safe.

Question: meter mounting box blamed for dimming lights

(July 23, 2014) brian korba said:

I called hydro because my lights were dimming in my house.

They said I had to change the meter box because one of the meter receptor slots were too wide and was causing arcing.

The electrician who changed the box said the cause of the arcing was a loose incoming hydro wire in the box. Which is more likely? I would like to put a claim in for this but am unsure how best to present the cause.

Reply:

Brian

It's a perfectly fair question but not one we can answer by e-Text.

If the incoming wire was indeed loose it would have been helpful to document that thoroughly so as to establish responsibility.

Even then, if the meter connection was made by your own or the original installing electrician, that is not by Hydro, then the responsibility falls back to the homeowner.

In most areas the utility company's responsibility stops at the connection of their overhead or underground supply to the service entry cable that in turn connects to the meter.

...

Continue reading  at ELECTRIC METERS & METER BASES - topic home, or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

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