Evan wrote:
On May 13, 10:58 am, bud-- wrote:
Evan wrote:
On May 12, 8:01 pm, "John Gilmer" wrote:
Beyond a point, they have nothing to gain by making a fuss. They can't
claim "theft of services" because you are paying. It's at most a technical
violation of their service teriffs. Since they are in the business of
selling electricity, it's silly to disconnect a paying customer just for
spite.
They won't make a fuss with the customer, other than assessing
any fees authorized by the public utility overseers in your state...
However, they can and will go after the professional with the
electrical license with the public utility people or the state
electrical board and have his "ticket" punched... That is not
out of spite... It is out of a desire to protect the integrity of
their metering equipment and distribution of services...
Not "wanting" to call ahead to have power company employees
come out and pull the meter and making a bogus claim of
"it was an emergency" won't fly after the second time...
~~ Evan
You are generalizing from what may (or may not) be the practice where
you are.

I cut seals when needed and called the utility metering department
within a day or two. The utility had no problem with that.

I doubt utilities would have problems with licensed electricians cutting
seals and then telling them. A licensed electrician is going to be
involved in a fraud?

--
bud--


It is trespassing, not fraud, the customer whose house the electric
meter is installed in does not own or control the meter cabinet once
the meter is installed... It is sealed with a tamper evident seal and
once closed you need to call and obtain permission from the power
company to access what is inside of the meter cabinet...

Just because your local utility company has made a practice of
not making a major case out of it in the past has no bearing on
whether they can if they wanted to...

You're so full of **** saying the (alleged) practices where you are (and
(alleged) code enforcement where you are) applies everywhere.

The utility here has no problems with my cutting seals and telling them.
Roy says that applies for one of his utilities. A number of people have
said they have no problems with their utilities. Your rant doesn't
change reality.

Why do you think some of the utility companies out there use
those high security metal bands and medeco locks on their
meter enclosures ? It is to keep everybody but the power
company out...

Around here extraordinary sealing is only done where the utility has
evidence of tampering.

Electricians have the ability to cut into the
service drop lines if they need to kill the power where they
can reconnect them without trespassing in power company
enclosures...

This is even stupider. I don't really think the utility wants me to
remake *their* connection from their drop to the customer wires. And I
sure as hell don't want to make the connection unless I really have to
(like a service change). Service wires are dangerous - maybe 10,000A
available current (residential) and minimal protection from the utility.
OSHA has strong opinions about working on such wires.

You have multiple people telling you the same thing.
Another case of everyone-is-wrong-but-Evan.

--
bud--