Section 210.25

[Grouch1980]

I'm working on a 2-family residence. There are common areas, requiring a house panel and house meter. However, the owner lives in the upper apartment. and he prefers no house meter, and to connect those circuits to his meter.

Section 210.25 doesn't say this is allowed. It doesn't mention anything if the owner lives in the building.

Can I do as he requested?

 

[charlie b]

I infer that there will be a tenant in the lower apartment. I believe that tenant will never need access to the house panel. I see no problem here.

 

[Grouch1980]

I infer that there will be a tenant in the lower apartment. I believe that tenant will never need access to the house panel. I see no problem here.

Yes, there will be a tenant in the lower apartment. So there's no violation of section 210.25, where I'm placing the common area loads onto the owners meter?

 

[Elect117]

I think your question is more of a long term legal issue if the owner charges a HOA or similar fee for shared spaces. Or if the owner turns that breaker off to save money. While all those are probably not going to happen, it is something to think about.

210.25 is for branch circuits. So as long as the branch circuits for general lighting are not controlled by breakers in the owner's apartment, then it should be okay.

So Meter1 would have 1 MSB, then two disconnects. One disconnect to the shared space load sub panel and the other to the owner's subpanel.
Meter 2 would have 1 MSB and then a subpanel in the tenant's space.

The wiring between the meter main and the subpanel for the shared space would be considered a feeder. Arguably you could have a meter with two disconnects instead of a single meter main. That might depend on the utility. See 230.90 (A) exception 3.