How to change the electric meter in an apartment or a private house?

To accurately and efficiently calculate the electricity consumed by the consumer uses an electricity meter. However, there are situations where this device must be replaced. Thus, questions arise: under what circumstances should the meter be replaced, who pays for this process, how to document the replacement and how to make it yourself.

In what cases is the replacement made?

There are several variants of events in which it is necessary to replace the meter:

• First of all, in 2006, the government decreed that all electricity meters should be replaced if they have an accuracy class greater than 2.0. (As a rule, obsolete meters include mechanical meters with the well-known spinning disc);
• If the meter shows signs of mechanical damage - for example, the glass is broken or the mechanism itself does not work;
• If the meter functions incorrectly - the amount of electricity consumed is incorrectly calculated, the figures differ from the real ones;
• If the consumer has switched to a multiple-rate payment method - accordingly, the existing meter must be replaced with a multi-tariff meter.

Who by law has to pay for replacing the old meter?

The meter is considered to be the property of the consumer, which means that the owner of the room where the meter is installed must pay for the replacement. However, in some situations the meter may belong to the supplier or be assigned to the utility company. In such cases, replacement is free of charge.

Important! If the home is in municipal ownership, the municipality is legally obligated to pay for the replacement of meters.

When electric meters are replaced at your own expense?

As already mentioned, if the housing (apartment or private house) is privatized and owned, the consumer must pay for the replacement.

Where to go if you need a replacement

1. The consumer must go to the local branch of the Power Supply Company and write an application for the replacement of the meter, stating the reason;
2. This application must be accepted and a permit to replace the meter must be issued;
3. After approval, you can call a specialist to replace the meter or do it yourself;
4. After installing the new device, you should always call a specialist from the Power Supply Company to draw up a certificate of commissioning and seal the electricity meter.

What is included in the service of electricity meter replacement

There are organizations that fully undertake this procedure. The cost of their services includes:

• The electricity meter itself;
• Disassembly of the old meter;
• Installation of a new electricity meter;
• sealing the meter;
• Preparation of necessary documents.

How long does it take to replace the meter?

Approval from the Power Supply Company may take a couple of working days, and the meter replacement itself takes 30-60 minutes.

Changing the meter yourself - procedures and requirements

What electricity meter to choose

You should choose devices based on the following classifications:

• consumption current - AC or DC;
• number of phases - one (50 V) or three (380 V);
• number of tariffs - one or more;
• device type - mechanical or electronic.
• type of connection - direct or through a transformer.

Most often mechanical meters are replaced by more modern - electronic. The fact is that mechanical devices have the following disadvantages:

• it is impossible to take readings automatically;
• when counting electricity occurs very significant errors;
• can account for only one tariff;
• they can be easily adjusted so that underreporting is reflected;
• complicated in installation and operation.

Thus, it is more common to install electronic devices, devoid of all the above disadvantages. Reference! This device is based on a special device that electronically counts the electricity consumed and records the readings. Such meters allow counting any amount of electricity, they can be installed both in an apartment and in a private home.

It is also quite common to install multi-tariff meters. The essence of their work is to count energy depending on the time of day, which leads to lower costs compared to the charge at a single rate.

Attention! The possibility of calculating electricity indicators for several tariffs does not exist in all regions of Russia.

There are the most advanced meters that have an LCD display and a digital interface. Their disadvantage is their high cost, so consumers often choose simpler devices.

Preparation of necessary documents

According to the law, it is inadmissible to replace the electric meter without permission from the power supply company. It is necessary to carry out the following actions:

1. Prepare passport (identity card) and proof of ownership of the premises where the replacement is to be made. In the absence of the owner it is necessary to execute a power of attorney.
2. With the prepared documents go to the supplier (Power Supply Company) and write an application stating the reason for replacing the device.

The power supply company must accept the application and send a specialist who must establish whether replacement is really necessary. He then removes the seals and records the last readings charged.

Important! After the removal of the seals, the cost of the energy consumed will be determined by a special inflated tariff that does not take into account the actual consumption.

Removing and installing a meter

Removing the old meter and installing the new one is usually performed by an Electricity Supply Company specialist, but you can do the replacement yourself if you are confident in your skills. You need to do the following steps:

1. Disconnect the electric current by means of the input circuit breaker. Note that there are two switches - before the meter and after it. Of course, to replace the meter should disconnect the circuit breaker, which is located in front of the device.
2. Open the lid of the device and make sure that there is no voltage on all contacts.
3. Disconnect all wires inside the device. If the power supply is single-phase, there will be four wires in total: 2 to the input and 2 to the output.
4. Remove the meter housing itself. Typically, for subsequent mounting of the new device uses a DIN rail.

Attention! The new device shall be installed in the reverse order of the above actions. After completing the installation it is necessary to check whether the meter is properly connected.

Where and at what height should I place the meter?

• Since the meter is also installed in a private home, it is better to install it in a heated, dry room;
• The location itself can be anything, for example: a wall, a switchboard, a cabinet. However, there must be a rigid and strictly vertical base.
• According to the height of the device is allowed to place within the range of 40-170 cm, but a more correct location is considered installation at human eye level (an average of about 170 cm in height).
• It is important to bear in mind that the meter must be accessible at all times under all conditions.

Approval and commissioning

Act of replacement of the electricity meter

As already mentioned, the specialist must draw up a certificate of replacement of the electric meter, which specifies the following information:

• the name of the feeder where the replacement was performed;
• Type, year of manufacture, serial number and accuracy class of the new device;
• Date of the last inspection of the old and new meters;
• readings of the electricity meter;
• unaccounted for electricity during the period of equipment replacement;
• reasons for replacement.

After checking the correctness of the connection it is necessary to put the new device into operation. To do this, you must carry out the following measures:

1. Contact the power supply company with an application requesting that the meter be sealed and put into service.
2. After accepting the application, a specialist will come to you, check the connection, place a seal and draw up a certificate of replacement of the meter.

Checking and sealing the meter

• If you replace the meter yourself, the specialist will check the installation for irregularities;
• If no errors in the installation are found, the specialist will record the meter readings and place a seal on the meter cover.

Reference! In this regard, it is recommended to replace the meter by the supplier, because then they can put their own meter, and then immediately draw the act of replacement and put a seal.

Peculiarities of meter replacement in a private house and an apartment

When replacing a meter in a private home, there are some ambiguities that can lead to conflict.

First, the law requires that the meter must be installed so that it can be read even in the absence of the owners. Accordingly, in this case, the meter is installed outdoors, for example, on the wall of the house or on the pole, which brings the wires of the electrical network to the building.

However, the same law obliges to place the device only in dry heated rooms, which is logical from the point of view of fire safety, but completely contradicts the requirement of free access to the meter.

Of course, most owners do not want to install meters outside the premises.

Attention! If the landlord guarantees that the tenants will be in the house all the time, then it is allowed to install the meter inside the living space. Otherwise, the removal of old meters and the installation of new ones takes place in the same way as in a normal apartment building. It is also up to the owner to decide whether or not to involve professionals in the installation or to do it themselves. When replacing a meter in an apartment, there are some important features to consider:

• The device must have compliance with the accuracy class - no more than 2.0 metering units;
• If there is an insoluble question of who must pay for the replacement of the device, you should refer to the current legislation;
• The current consumption of the device is based on the maximum value of the apartment's electrical system (as a rule, not more than 50 amperes);
• If the old meter was placed on the landing or in the anteroom, it is recommended to place the new meter closer to the entrance to the apartment (if possible).

Thus, the procedure for replacing the meter is not complicated, if you approach it carefully and responsibly. Although the dismantling itself can be carried out by your own efforts, the participation of the supplier - the power supply company for the legal registration of the new meter is mandatory.

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