How often does the PoCo change out your Gas Meter?

[4 FN 27]

As the thread title says...

Yesterday our PoCo showed up to change out our Gas meters again, one on the house and one on the Shop. They did this less than a year ago.

My Wife went out to ask why again and they said the Public Utility Commission directed them too based on our usage thinking there must be something wrong with out Meters because we don't use an area average of Natural Gas.

The house and the shop heat using Geothermal Heat sources. Forced air and radiant in the house and garages attached to the house. And the shop uses radiant with a forced air tempering system for faster recovery after opening the Garage Doors.

We are on their "Back-up Relief Program" which discounts the electricity used specifically for both Geothermal Systems to $0.50 on the dollar per Kilowatt Hour. 99% of the time the Geo Systems heats both units until we get to -9° and then the Natural Gas Boiler "may" kick in to help.

Then there are occasions where the PoCo will shutdown the Geo System to reduce demand on the Grid and the systems automatically run on the NG Boiler. Thus the "Back-up Relief".

So in a nutshell we hardly use any Natural Gas as compared to the areas average usage. The house and the shop both use NG for the Water Heaters. The house has a NG Dryer and 4 NG Fire Places which we run the one in the Hearth Room off the kitchen pretty much every night during the winter.

The Shop NG Water Heater runs very little as there is no demand hardly at all. Most months the Meter Charge is greater than the NG Charge. The average combination of the Meter Charge and NG are less than $15.00 month.

During her conversation with the PoCo in the driveway she explained we have Geo and that the house and shop use very little NG...and they said they still have to do what they have to do.

Last year when they changed the Meters they asked to look at the House and the Shop Utility Rooms to "Check for Leaks". She allowed them in the house through the Basement Garage and they spent about 30 minutes looking things over in both Utility Rooms. She did not allow them in my Shop since she does not have a key and she wasn't about to bother me at work. Yesterday they pushed to get access to the shop. I was across town at a meeting so they want a look see at a later date. She said they would have to schedule it with me. I am waiting for their call.

I think they think we have by-passed the meter....

 

[pi_guy]

During road construction I had guys looking for gas meter regularly. Kept telling them we do not have gas. Daily they kept looking.
Was temped to build a mock one they are just not bright.....

 

[Zick]

Funny, I just ran into this last year. Caught PoCo on our security camera carrying a toolbag and going to our gas meter (couldn't see what they did as the camera isn't pointed directly at the meter). Promptly called them to see why they were working on the meter (curious if there was a problem we should be aware of).
Well long story short they basically denied having done anything and that any kind of work we would be notified.
A few months later, same thing happened again. Called and got same run around. Looked at the meter and you could tell there were parts replaced.
We also have Geo but have NG for water heater, dryer, stoves, fireplace, and the garage heater. It usually runs around $20 (S) to $70 (W) on average.

 

[mike93lx]

I don't think my meter has ever been changed.

 

[ljhhontx]

I don't work for PoCo but have some insights. The OP has an unusual utility setup and his usage does not fit the norm. We have systems in place which audit accounts for abnormal usage and his probably does. If I were you I would call them and notify them of your setup and have them note the account, it's possible they would see the notations in the future and discount the abnormal readings it is generating. We have to do this as people are constantly finding new ways to scam us and the other honest customers we serve.

 

[4 FN 27]

I don't work for PoCo but have some insights. The OP has an unusual utility setup and his usage does not fit the norm. We have systems in place which audit accounts for abnormal usage and his probably does. If I were you I would call them and notify them of your setup and have them note the account, it's possible they would see the notations in the future and discount the abnormal readings it is generating. We have to do this as people are constantly finding new ways to scam us and the other honest customers we serve.

I get it and the PoCo knows what is going on. It is the Public Utility Commission making them do it regardless of the notes on file from what my Wife found out yesterday.

After 4 years we finally got them to understand we have a Commercial Service on a Residential Property...and the billing is more consistent and accurate for the most part.

I mean it is no big deal on my end but a waste of time and resources.

 

[rjacobs]

We have to do this as people are constantly finding new ways to scam us and the other honest customers we serve.

I learned 2 years ago the reason for digital water meters... they shut them off remotely... because when they shut off water for no pay, people would just go cut the lock and turn it back on... no more... its all done remote now.

The upside is you can call them and they turn it off remotely, you can work on your water system, then they turn it back on. Also the system has a leak detector(it detected a warped toilet tank valve) and you can authorize them to shutoff your water if they detect a leak. Pretty slick. Moral of the story though is make sure your home builder didnt bury, under 12"+ of dirt, your post meter house main shut off...

 

[dutchgray]

I learned 2 years ago the reason for digital water meters... they shut them off remotely... because when they shut off water for no pay, people would just go cut the lock and turn it back on... no more... its all done remote now.

The upside is you can call them and they turn it off remotely, you can work on your water system, then they turn it back on. Also the system has a leak detector(it detected a warped toilet tank valve) and you can authorize them to shutoff your water if they detect a leak. Pretty slick. Moral of the story though is make sure your home builder didnt bury, under 12"+ of dirt, your post meter house main shut off...

In the UK they are not actually allowed to cut of a residential water supply for non payment, but they do fit a restriction to the meter so you can only get a dribble out for drinking water.
Commercial supplies have no such restriction, they will pull the meter and install a blanking plate in the base and if they have to come back again if a user bypasses the cutoff they will then seal their meter chamber with neat cement so you cant get into it.

You get occasional "safety checks" if you have unusual usage patterns on electric or gas here, they have looked at mine a couple times because I am low usage, they only look at the meters for about 5 seconds so its just looking for tampering.

 

[Lassen Forge]

As soon as they realize your neighbors are getting charged more than you, they will change it out on the assumption yours is broken, and they can get more $$ from you. Same with Electric - they got the OK from some to install Scam, er, Smart meters, and then for the next 6 months every other meter had a "malfunction" and had to be replaced.

 

[Jim greengo]

Gas and electric meters are outside on my properties,as long as it's not costing me they can change them out as often as they want.
Our water meters are all inside ,they can get a hold of us or what ever renter the account is under.
Only problem weve ever had was a new water meter that was installed backwards,but that was on them.
Took 2-3 months for them to catch it.

 

[HoosierBuddy]

I get it and the PoCo knows what is going on. It is the Public Utility Commission making them do it regardless of the notes on file from what my Wife found out yesterday.

After 4 years we finally got them to understand we have a Commercial Service on a Residential Property...and the billing is more consistent and accurate for the most part.

I mean it is no big deal on my end but a waste of time and resources.

To the original question, it varies by state how often a gas meter must be changed. In Indiana, code mandates gas meters be pulled and sent in for testing at least every 16 years UNLESS there is a statistical sampling program in place that proves that the meters are still accurate (generally +/- 2%) for longer periods. Often a utility will check the meters more often for larger loads or commercial setups. Many industrial meters for example are checked annually.

The thing about "The Regulatory Commission made us check your meter every year"? I'm not buying it. The PUC is only going to get involved if there is a complaint. That being said...there are rules on how far back they can go on a bad meter issue for rebilling purposes. Again, my only experience is in Indiana where PUC rules are a utility can go back and rebill for a bad meter, but no more than one year.

That may be where they are saying "The utility commission makes us".

The other thing...on the relight after the meter is changed, some gas companies require an inspection of piping and appliances any time there is a relight. Evidently yours doesn't if they did not insist on seeing everything a year ago when they were there.

ALSO...on the people with yard cameras. Gas companies are required to inspect their systems including physical checks, leak surveys, cathodic protection surveys, line locates (for 811) and on and on and on by federal code. Please have a little patience with your gas company. Your service agreement gives them the right to enter your premises for these purposes, so it isn't like they are doing something that they shouldn't be doing. They are just doing their jobs. They aren't spying on you....probably.

By "probably" I do remember back in the early 80's working with a guy that would randomly re-read meters during the summer when girls were out bikini tanning in the back yards. That guy retired a long time ago though.

Phil

 

[SGKent]

the meter put in when the house was built in 1979 is still here. I'd be getting an attorney to deal with the gas company if they can't show you a signed letter from the PUC with a name you can call to complain that you are being harassed. For all we know you gave a donation to the wrong political party, or the wrong PUC commissioner. Nothing surprises me anymore. Any reasonable person would know that if you are using a geo source for heat then your natural gas usage will be low.

 

[strutaeng]

Around here, never unless there is work done or they simply upgrade old equipment. At my parents' house (1950s) they changed to a new meter some years ago.

My house (1960) they replaced the entire gas service in the neighborhood and we got new meters. I'm not sure if new meter is plastic?

 

[SGKent]

Around here, never unless there is work done or they simply upgrade old equipment. At my parents' house (1950s) they changed to a new meter some years ago.

My house (1960) they replaced the entire gas service in the neighborhood and we got new meters. I'm not sure if new meter is plastic?

the gas Co left the meter here alone but added a sending unit and dial that is plastic about 10 years ago to get rid of the meter readers - It sends the consumption via wireless.

 

[The Cobbler]

and if your usage is higher than normal, and you suspect a bad meter, they will charge you for the cost to change it .

 

[malibu101]

I see this happen almost yearly where I work with both gas and electric meters.
They have many houses that are not used (totally empty) from May through August so these houses are not using any appreciable amount gas or electric, obviously way less than the other months.

When the meters stop reporting usage, the computer for the utilities thinks their meters are bad and puts out a work order for a meter replacement.
The utility guy comes to campus, sees simple reason why nothing is being used, replaces the meter anyway because that's what he's told to do, and moves on.

 

[southalabama]

House built in 1970. Meter never replaced. They did paint it last year.

 

[Showkey]

They randomly tested my electric meter this summer. Took it off the house, back to the truck for 5 minutes, back on the house.

Joked with the technician .........”when is my big rebate check coming”.........he said 99.5% of the time they under report usage, so don’t hold your breath. He claimed by design the +/- error was tilted towards the customer.

4 months later they replaced all the meters to “smart meters” and then linked the gas and electric meters to auto read usage on one communication system.

 

[toyotadriver]

Back when I had natural gas I woke up one Thanksgiving day to a cold house. Meter failed that day. The gas company came out that day and changed it. That's the only time I ever saw them change it or even check it.

 

[schwoch1]

We run into this at my repair shop. We use waste oil to heat the main shop, and have a few rental units where the natural gas is not used at all, but the city requires us to have gas to the unit to make it 'habitable". We have to call WE Energies (Wisconsin) once a year to verify that low or zero usage is normal for us. One year we had three gas meters changed on the same unit, finally called the utility and told them to stop ******* our money away. We always watch our bills as they have a tendency to start 'estimating' our usage and charge us for energy that we don't use! In the end, they always make things right!
Mike

 

[James-W]

We have a separate electric meter and a separate natural gas meter for our garage. The electric we use every month but the gas we use only in the Winter months. Consequently the gas isn't used in the warm months and the gas people have stopped several times to check the gas meter. We kept telling them the person checking the meter this is normal, we only use the heat in the cold months. But they kept checking it anyway, I guess they didn't believe me.

One day I called the main office and spoke with a very nice woman and I explained to her the heater was in the garage and we only use it when it is cold so we have no usage during the warm months. She said it was no problem, she would take care of it and she did. No more meter checks due to lack of usage over the warm months of the year.

But I do know they replace the meter every so many years whether it needs to be replaced or not. Not saying you get a brand new meter, for all I know it is rebuilt meter. But regardless of new or rebuilt, you get a different meter every so many years.

It is my understanding that all the new meters are drive by meters, they just drive by your house and they can read the meter from their vehicle. Saves them a lot of time and is probably more accurate.

 

[mjeff87]

Our meter was only ever change once, and that was when the backup generator got installed.....it required a larger meter to feed it when it runs.

 

[dogdog]

As the thread title says...

Yesterday our PoCo showed up to change out our Gas meters again, one on the house and one on the Shop. They did this less than a year ago.

My Wife went out to ask why again and they said the Public Utility Commission directed them too based on our usage thinking there must be something wrong with out Meters because we don't use an area average of Natural Gas.
..............................
I think they think we have by-passed the meter....

Not sure which Utility you have, I have National Grid... that have the exact problem except they don't change out the gas meter (well maybe once) but wanted inspections every 6 months or sometimes 3months, it started since 2012... even posted the rant a few times... I am suspecting they have some sort of statistic program that compare usage between you and your neighbors... and flag your account if it is low or below others... in my situation I have 0 usage... even took out the gas range to my apartment... 0 usage.. meter doesn't move... I have heard of threaten words like "leaks", "death", "explosion" etc... but all BS... anyways , I refuse to just use the gas in my apartment since I don't cook in this apartment but the one upstairs, and heat/hot water is on another separate meter... .. even if I use minimal to make the meter move, they would have flagged me anyways unless I have usage the same as my neighbors... ... That program must have rolled out in your area as well.... So you might have to deal with it for a while...

 

[dave*99]

Funny you should ask. The house was built around 2005. I received this notice from my gas supplier this week:

Dear Valued Customer:

The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities requires that PSE&G periodically replace the gas meter serving your home. This mandatory practice ensures the safe and reliable delivery of gas, and helps to ensure that customers are accurately billed for the service they actually use.

The scheduled replacement of the gas meter serving your home is pending your response. Failure to respond to this notice in a timely manner could result in the discontinuation of gas service to your home. If you do not have access to the meters, please inform the property owner or person responsible.

PSE&G provides flexible appointment times between 7:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Special needs are accommodated whenever possible. For your security, PSE&G employees drive clearly marked vehicles and display photo ID badges.

You can conveniently schedule your appointment online through http://bit.ly/2oTk9xI. Just log in and select “Schedule a Service Appointment” from the main menu, and then select the pending Gas Meter order displayed on the screen. Follow the on-screen directions to schedule an appointment that is convenient for you. For your convenience, you can also pay your bill, report outages and more through My Account.

You can also schedule an appointment by calling 1-800-249-1865 Monday through Friday 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. or Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. When calling, please have your account number available and say “Meter Change” or “Meter Replacement” when asked, “What would you like help with today?” This will allow you to schedule your appointment through our automated system.

Please note: full, clear access to the meter and all gas appliances is required.

If you already have scheduled an appointment with us, please disregard this notice. Thank you for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

PSE&G Meter Reading Team

 

[jeepxj]

Funny you should ask. The house was built around 2005. I received this notice from my gas supplier this week:

Dear Valued Customer:

The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities requires that PSE&G periodically replace the gas meter serving your home. This mandatory practice ensures the safe and reliable delivery of gas, and helps to ensure that customers are accurately billed for the service they actually use.

The scheduled replacement of the gas meter serving your home is pending your response. Failure to respond to this notice in a timely manner could result in the discontinuation of gas service to your home. If you do not have access to the meters, please inform the property owner or person responsible.

PSE&G provides flexible appointment times between 7:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Special needs are accommodated whenever possible. For your security, PSE&G employees drive clearly marked vehicles and display photo ID badges.

You can conveniently schedule your appointment online through http://bit.ly/2oTk9xI. Just log in and select “Schedule a Service Appointment” from the main menu, and then select the pending Gas Meter order displayed on the screen. Follow the on-screen directions to schedule an appointment that is convenient for you. For your convenience, you can also pay your bill, report outages and more through My Account.

You can also schedule an appointment by calling 1-800-249-1865 Monday through Friday 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. or Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. When calling, please have your account number available and say “Meter Change” or “Meter Replacement” when asked, “What would you like help with today?” This will allow you to schedule your appointment through our automated system.

Please note: full, clear access to the meter and all gas appliances is required.

If you already have scheduled an appointment with us, please disregard this notice. Thank you for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

PSE&G Meter Reading Team

i've been on NJ PSEG for a decade and have never been meter swapped out. I wonder if you can upgrade your CFM rating too at that time