Electricity Meter Safety: What Homeowners need to know!
Residential Electricity Meter Safety. What you as a homeowner need to be aware of. Be aware work on a electricity meter should only be done by a qualified, licensed electrician.
(updated: 3.27.24)
Your North Carolina electric power supplier installs and owns the electric meter on the outside of your home. The meter is used by your power company to measure the amount of electricity your household uses. Currently, there are two (typical) types of electric meters in use:
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1) Manually read meters
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2) Smart meters that electronically forward your electricity usage to your power provider.
Homeowners beware, it is illegal to tamper with an electrical meter, not to mention dangerous!
In most instances, the homeowner owns and is responsible for maintaining and
addressing issues with the connections from the meter into the home. This
includes the breaker box (including the breakers within), electrical wiring in
the home, appliances, and in some cases the residential service drop. Fortus Electric
always advises customers to contact a licensed, qualified electrician to investigate and
fix electrical problems with customer-owned equipment.
(More Electrical Safety Tips for Spring)
For homeowners in colder climates, the outdoor electrical meters are designed to withstand winter weather conditions, including heavy snow and ice. Hard-packed snow, icicles falling from your eaves, or water dripping from your roof and freezing on your meter can create a safety hazard. Also, snow and ice build-up around the fresh-air and exhaust vents for your natural gas appliances can cause them to malfunction and create a carbon monoxide hazard.
For your household’s safety
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Do not store anything around your electrical meter.
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Prune any bushes or landscaping to allow meter readers to view the meter and prevent any damage.
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Do not cover your meter with any insulation materials or other man-made obstacles.
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Never tie pets to a meter.
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For their own safety, keep children away from the electrical meter and do not allow them to climb or play on an electrical meter.
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Never attempt to fix, alter or tamper an electrical meter. If you notice a damage electricity meter call you power supplier or a qualified, licensed electrician immediately.
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For winter weather homes, keep your electrical meter free from snow and ice.
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Never shovel or push snow up against your electric meter.
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Always keep air supply ducts and vents clear of landscaping, snow, and ice.