mistakenly removed tamper ring from meter

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Ken 6789

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Hello, need some advice. I was helping a friend change his electrical service and I removed his electric meter. It is an older style meter and it is a ring type. I really only worked with ringless meters til now. Anyway, when we were finished, I attempted to put the old meter in new meter base and was unable to put the outer locking ring on the meter. I removed the inner ring (wasn't thinking) and found out this was the tamper ring that holds the plastic front dome onto the meter. I was able to put the meter onto the meter base with the outside lock ring but the plastic dome is a little loose. I'm not sure what poco will say and how much they will charge for a new meter or tamper ring. Unfortunately I cut the old inner ring off and no longer usable. Now it's damage control. Any suggestions? Poco is First Energy. Thank you
 
The customer pays a maintenance fee like $6.00 per month per meter. If he had that meter for a long period of time he could've bought dozens of them. Have the customer call the company that he had some work done and the meter need's changed.
 
If poco installs the rings I would be surprised if they made a deal about it. If they charge the customer just offer to pay. It can't be that much. :)
 
Around here the POCO probably won't care. They would need to install a new, proper type meter anyway. As long as the old meter is functioning and the customer isn't getting free electricity everyone is happy.
 
What you did was mess with there cash register. Now up to them as to if they believe you or not as to why.
Can tell you this. While i was doing work at a local POCO i got to meet one of there workers from the theft depatment. He was bringing in several meters every day (maybe 10) they do and should take theft seriously. When your area replaces old style meters with the new digital ones that get read from street you best not be pulling them as they will tell on you.
 
Ken 6789 said:
Permit was pulled for this project
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Go ahead and call for an inspection of the service. Once the job is approved then POCO is much easier to deal with.

As others have said new meters are very cheap for the power company. They may not say anything.
 
They probably were going to replace the meter before too long anyway. Old meter replacement:$35. New state-of-the-art remote control meter (not necessary): $200.

I doubt they would charge you anything if it is real old. If they do, they are being unfriendly.
 
I forget the exact price but was told when they changed ours out that the new digitals were only about $50.

I don't think they will really care about the damage you did. They likely just send them off to be refurbished anyways.
Best just to talk nicely and explain situation and probably be droped
 
in the excel energy territory of Colorado we are allowed to pull the meter for maintenance for customer side of service conductors like tightening connections on main breaker checking for loose connections.
as long as it is a maintenance issue and not an update excel energy calls this a meter reseal . we just reinstall the meter and notify excel of our pulling the meter



on service changes we are allowed to pull the meter cut the service drop and then temp in service drop conductors to service entrance conductors. install meter jumpers put on plastic dead front. this is perfectly fine with excel
after you call in closed loop you call for inspection ,upon passing inspection
the city will release the service to excel energy for permanent meter and permanent reconnection of service drop conductors



excel energy pro rates the customers electric Bill according to the statements from the same time period as the year before.
 
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