(A) Meter location and facilities to be furnished by consumer.
(1) The consumer shall furnish and maintain without charge a suitable meter location as specified by the utility. No meter shall be installed in any location where it may be unnecessarily exposed to heat, cold, dampness or other cause of damage or in any unduly dirty or inaccessible location.
(2) Outdoor socket mounted type meters will normally be used by the utility whenever practical. The meter socket shall be furnished by the utility to the consumer's electrical contractor to be installed by him or her, subject to the utility's approval, at the consumer's expense.
(3) The meter socket shall be mounted at a height of not less than 4½ feet nor more than 6 feet above ground or ground line, as the case may be.
(4) The meter socket shall, at all times, be kept sealed and under control of the utility and shall be maintained by the utility.
(5) When both or combination three-phase and single-phase service is supplied to the same premises, all meters and service entrance switches shall be at the same location.
(B) Service entrance requirements of consumer.
(1) The service entrance shall be defined as the facilities that consist of approved service entrance cable or conduit enclosing conductors and appurtenances. The conductors shall extend from the point of contact with the utility's service wires to the utility's meter installation and thence to and including the consumer's service entrance safety switch.
(2) All service entrance conductors and any conduit enclosure shall be continuous, unbroken and completely exposed for external inspection throughout their entire length, extending from the point of contact with the utility's service wires to the meter socket (or meter cabinet if installed) and thence to the consumer's service entry safety switch.
(C) (1) Service drop support and attachments. For one-story buildings or where conditions will not permit proper ground clearance to be maintained by the utility's service wires, the consumer shall install, at his or her expense, suitable conduit or service entrance mast pipe or other structure or support that will enable the utility to install the necessary fixtures and appurtenances to properly support its service drop conductors and to maintain the minimum ground clearance specified in division (F) of this section.
(2) Service entrance head clearance. The service entrance weatherhead shall be located at lease three feet away from readily accessible windows, doors or porches. The entrance head must also be located so that when the service drop conductors are attached to the building structure or other service drop support, adequate clearance will be maintained away from telephone or other wires, windows, awnings, drainpipes, chimneys or other obstructions.
(D) Service entrance mast pipe.
(1) This installation shall be made by the consumer, at his or her expense, and shall conform to the utility's specifications. The service entrance mast pipe shall be of galvanized steel of not less than two-inch nominal diameter and shall be attached to the wall of the building by means of an adequate number of approved through-bolt fastening devices.
(2) The consumer may elect to install a two-inch diameter off-set reducing adapter to connect to the consumer's 1.25 inch or 1.5 inch conduit (the diameter to depend upon the entrance conductor size). The mast pipe or conduit shall be continuous, extending from the service entrance weatherhead located at the top of the mast pipe to the utility's meter socket base.
(3) The service entrance mast pipe shall extend above the roof surface (through weatherproof roof flashing) so that the point of attachment of the utility's service wires to the mast pipe will be not less than 18 inches above the roof line plus such additional height as is necessary so that the point of attachment of the utility's service wires will maintain minimum ground clearance, specified in division (F) of this section.
(E) Service drop attachment to buildings.
(1) The utility will furnish and install the necessary attachment brackets and appurtenances to attach the utility's service wires to the consumer's service drop termination facilities.
(2) The utility further reserves the right to require that the installation of the necessary mast pipe or equivalent facilities required to support the utility's service wires be made by the consumer during the course of building construction.
(3) Where the exterior of buildings is finished with brick facing, concrete, plastered metal lathe, sheet iron, stucco, tile or similar material, suitable facilities of adequate strength to hold the utility's wires and attachments shall be installed by the consumer at his or her expense.
(F) Service drop conductor ground clearance. The facilities to be furnished by the consumer on which the utility is to mount its attachment to support its service drop conductors must be located at such height as will enable adequate clearance to be maintained through the entire service drop length. The minimum ground clearance shall be not less than 12 feet over driveways not subject to truck traffic; 15 feet over commercial areas, parking lots and other area subject to truck traffic; and 18 feet over public streets, alleys and roads.
(G) Service entrance conductor size and specifications.
(1) The service entrance conductors may be either copper or aluminum, and shall be continuous without any joints, splices or connections, extending from the point of connection with the utility's service drop conductors to the termination of same at the meter socket or meter cabinet and thence same shall continue without joints and the like to the consumer's service entrance safety switch.
(2) The consumer shall have his or her electrical contractor provide at the service entrance weatherhead sufficient excess service entrance conductor length or “tails” so that the utility can connect same directly to its service drop conductors.
(3) The service entrance installation shall conform in every respect to the utility's specifications as to conductor connectors and the method of making connections and all other related matters involved.
(4) The service entrance conductor size for the ampere load to be carried shall be based on a maximum conductor operating temperature of 75 (type RH, RHW, XHHW or equivalent).
(5) The minimum capacity for new three-wire installations shall be 100 amperes, requiring a minimum size of No. 3 (B & S gauge) for copper or No. 1 aluminum conductors. For 150 ampere capacity, the minimum size shall be 1/0 copper or 4/0 aluminum. For 200 amperes, 3/0 copper or 250 MCM aluminum.
(6) The entrance safety switch capacity shall be not less than the rated capacity of the service conductors. Other specifications, including conductors, shall conform to the latest edition of the National Electrical Code.
(7) Upon special application, the utility may permit two- or three-wire service entrance installations of less than 100 ampere capacity for signs and the like where the load requirements, as determined by the utility, justify same. In no event will two-wire service be furnished except at the utility's option.
(H) Temporary service drops.
(1) For temporary service furnished to individual small single-phase loads, such as house trailers, small construction projects (such as house and small buildings, portable tools, and the like), the utility will install a standard temporary service drop, at the consumer's expense, as specified in § 50.072, and utility's general service rate shall apply. The utility will furnish the meter base which shall be installed by the consumer at his or her expense.
(K) Location of multiple meters. Where more than one meter is required for a building, such as an apartment house, all of the meter sockets shall be located side by side at the same location.
(L) Meter location; remodeling. In remodeling, where two or more houses or dwelling units are combined to form one building, the meter sockets shall be moved to a single location. In all remodeling where the meter is changed or moved or wiring changes made, outdoor meter sockets and an approved new service entrance shall be installed by the consumer at his or her expense
(M) Meter accessibility.
(1) In the event a structural change is made by the owner that results in the opinion of the utility an undesirable meter location, the meter socket, meter cabinet and/or service entrance installation shall be moved by the consumer at his or her expense to an accessible location as determined by the utility.
(2) Whenever the construction of a building on an adjacent lot prevents proper access to any meter, or access to the point of attachment of service drop conductors, or results in inadequate service drop clearance, the consumer shall move, at his or her expense, the meter socket and service entrance to a location that is acceptable to the utility.
(N) Outdoor meters for non-residential general service. All single-phase meters installed for non-residential use that do not require current transformers shall be socket type. The meter socket shall be furnished by the utility but shall be installed at the consumer's expense. If it is impractical to make an outdoor meter installation on the outside of building, the meter may be installed inside if specified approval is given by the utility. In such an event, the service entrance switch and meter socket or cabinet shall be installed at a location that will be as near to the point of entrance through the building wall as is practical.
(O) Instrument transformers for metering.
(1) In all outdoor installations requiring current transformers, whether single-phase or three-phase, the consumer shall provide an approved meter loop for meter connections. The utility shall furnish any instrument transformers or other devices required to properly meter the consumer's requirements. Such instrument transformers and devices shall be installed by the consumer at his or her expense.
(2) Any cabinets required to house the instrument transformers and accessory equipment shall be furnished and installed by the consumer at his or her expense. This requirement only applies for indoor installations.
(3) Such metering or instrument cabinets are for the exclusive use of the utility and shall at all times be under the control of and kept sealed by the utility.
(P) Meter wiring sequence.
(1) All meter loops for single-phase meters without current transformers shall be wired in the following sequence: meter, switch and fuses.
(2) All meter loops for three-phase meters or for combination single-phase and three-phase service (without or with instrument transformers) shall be wired with the meter installed ahead of the main service entrance switch.
(Q) Outdoor three-phase meter installation. Whenever it is necessary to install the three-phase meters on the outside of the building and instrument transformers are required, the utility shall furnish and install an approved metallic, weatherproof cabinet to house its meters and metering transformers. In such an event, the front of the cabinet shall be provided with a suitable glass window that will permit the consumer to read the meter without the cabinet door being opened.
(R) Additional capacity requirements.
(1) In event a consumer makes application for additional capacity, subject to provisions of the applicable rate schedule, the utility shall install the necessary transformer capacity, service wires and other equipment required to adequately serve the consumer's requirements.
(2) All applications for service involving the furnishing of additional capacity or equipment by the utility may be required of the property owner. The application shall state that any service entrance wiring and main switches required for the utilization of such additional capacity to be furnished by the utility shall be considered as permanent fixtures belonging to the property being served, and the property owner shall agree that same shall not be removed from the property except for replacement or enlargement if necessary.
(S) Substation may be required of consumer.
(1) The utility reserves the right, where unusual substation capacity or voltage is involved, to require the consumer to install the necessary complete substation as provided for in utility's rate schedule. In such an event, the consumer will receive the substation ownership discount specified in the applicable rate schedule.
(2) Where the consumer furnishes the necessary complete substation equipment to take service at primary service voltage, such equipment shall be owned and maintained by the consumer and shall include the necessary transformers, structure, controls and protective equipment and shall be of such quality and construction as meets the utility approval.
(T) Attachments on utility's facilities prohibited. Consumer shall install no wiring or attachments on poles or other equipment of the utility (other than on the metering pole), as referred to in § 50.030, unless specifically authorized in writing by the utility.
(U) Electric building heating standards. For electric heating installations where either resistance type or heat pump equipment is installed, the heating installations shall be installed in accordance with the utility's specifications on file at its office.
(V) Water heating standards. Residential water heating installations shall conform to the utility's standards and specifications which, among other things, specify that the heating elements shall be interconnected so that the total demand of the water heater cannot exceed 5,500 watts.
(W) Load to be balanced on circuits. The consumer shall use reasonable care in designing his or her electric wiring and circuits; also, the connection of the loads to the circuits, so that the loads on the individual phases and circuits of utility's service are properly balanced at al times.
(X) Other use of service by consumer For further provisions, see § 50.022.
(Ord. 10-85, passed 10-7-85)