The days of being able to take power from the grid without having the power company hook your home or business up to it are long over. Most meters that the power company uses these days are wireless, and the power company contacts them remotely to check your power usage and generate your bill each month.
The power company will know within minutes if you pull your smart meter. This is because the meter is monitored remotely to prevent tampering.
If you have a traditional meter at your property, the power company might not know quite as quickly. Still, they will eventually figure out that you have removed it when they come to check on your meter during their monthly visit.
If you want to know more about how the power company will know if you have pulled your meter, you need to read on!
What is a Smart Meter?
Smart meters are like traditional meters with added technology built into them. The meter that your power company connects at your home or business is made to detect how much power is being used each month in your home. The smart versions of these devices send a signal remotely to the power company to bill you accurately for the power you have used each month.
These are digital devices, and they communicate regularly with the power company. This is why the power company will know right off if you pull your meter. Most of these meters check in every 15 minutes, which is about the maximum time before the company will know that you have disconnected your meter.
Do I Need Permission to Pull my Meter?
In most cases, you need permission to remove the meter in your home or at your business. You will usually want the help of a skilled technician to remove your meter so that it is not damaged.
Depends Upon Electricity Provider
Many components go along with your meter that might also need to be removed correctly, so this is rarely an unskilled job for the average homeowner to complete.
Some companies will allow you to remove your meter to take care of home repairs and other needs, but they will usually want to have one of their techs come out to take down the meter for the job.
You should remember this if you need to do a remodel or some other kind of work that necessitates removing the meter. You do not want to get in trouble for tampering with your meter just because you would move it for some home project.
Pulling Meter can be Dangerous
One of the biggest concerns with pulling a smart meter is that this can be a dangerous process. These machines are protected with anti-tamper seals and locks as well. You will probably be fine if you decide to remove these protective items and disconnect your meter yourself, but there is always a risk of getting hurt.
This is the bigger concern with pulling your meter than any concern of the power company related to you removing their meter without permission.
Is it illegal to Pull Your Meter?
It is not technically illegal to remove your meter without telling your power company. They will probably immediately dispatch someone to find out what has happened, and they might find you. They cannot get you into legal trouble of any kind.
The main concern of the power company is that you are not stealing power. If all you did was disconnect the meter, you are not stealing power. This action is usually not taken by people to steal power, and if the power company is convinced when they visit that you were just making home improvements, they might not even be fine you for having removed your meter yourself.
You should probably tell your power company that you are pulling your meter just as a courtesy. This makes sure that there is no confusion and that you do not have to deal with a surprise visit from the power company. There is no reason not to tell the power company that you are going to pull your meter and work with them to meet their expectations.
Can I Get Fined for Tampering if I Pull my Meter?
Most power companies will fine you some money for moving your meter or disconnecting it, no matter the reason. This fee is usually around $200, but it could be more. The older style meters might not notify the company in any way, and you might not have any trouble with the company. If you disconnect one of these meters for your project, the power company might never know.
You should always assume that the power company will fine you for taking this action without permission. This is the best way to handle this process or need, and you should not assume that your power company will be fine with you doing the work yourself. This is a good rule of thumb to make sure that you do not cause damage to the meter or hurt yourself in some way.
Conclusion
You should remember that the power company will probably be aware almost right away that you have pulled your meter. There is no reason to take the chance that you will get into any trouble with the power company just because you need to remove your meter for a bit to work on something at your home. Beyond this, you might actually get hurt by your smart meter if you do not remove it correctly.
Pulling your meter is a job that is better done by the power company techs, even if it is annoying to have to wait for them to show up in some cases. You should be safe rather than sorry with considerations to do with your meter and disconnecting it from power.
