Painting my SMECO electric meter

[PeoplesElbow]

Think SMECCO would have a #### fit if I painted my electric meter to match my siding? It must be 40 years old and is quite faded and bad looking. I would like to paint it to blend into the siding, which is a beige. I don't plan on painting over the glass portion just incase anyone was wondering

 

[Goldenhawk]

I say paint it. Who's going to complain? These days they read the meter remotely anyway...

 

[PeoplesElbow]

My dad painted his gas meter dark brown to match the brick on his house, the gas company complained that the meter readers couldn't find it without looking hard.

 

[Goldenhawk]

Waaaah.

 

[Gilligan]

They could care less about the box the meter plugs in to.

 

[limblips]

They could care less about the box the meter plugs in to.

The box belongs to you, the meter itself to SMECO.

 

[warneckutz]

#### SMECO.

They're supposedly moving to wireless reading where they just need to pull up to the driveway and not have to get out... if the meters have that capability.

 

[Gilligan]

#### SMECO.

?? In my experience, SMECO is one of the better run co-ops.

In any event, it's not the meter the OP wants to paint, obviously, just the panel box it plugs in to.


SMECO swapped out all the meters in our area for the new digital ones a couple years ago.

 

[Goldenhawk]

From the SMECO website: "After smart meters are installed, SMECO will no longer send someone out to your home to read the meter. We will read meters remotely from our central office." So chances are that no meter reader will ever visit your house again, unless your meter fails.

 

[hitchicken]

I say paint it. Who's going to complain? These days they read the meter remotely anyway...

If the meter is 40 years old, I wouldn't think it had that capability.

 

[Gilligan]

If the meter is 40 years old, I wouldn't think it had that capability.

It's the meter panel box that's 40 years old...and that's what he wants to paint.

 

[Chris0nllyn]

As mentioned, the meter socket is yours. Paint it up.

The Consumer Member shall furnish and install according to SMECO specifications, all meter sockets, meter bases, enclosures and all wiring from the point of the utility’s attachment.

https://www.smeco.coop/~/media/pdf/Account/tariff/Part6ServiceandMeterConnectionEquipment.pdf?la=en

 

[hitchicken]

It's the meter panel box that's 40 years old...and that's what he wants to paint.

I missed your post #5 mentioning the separate box. Sorry about that.

 

[Goldenhawk]

If the meter is 40 years old, I wouldn't think it had that capability.

According to SMECO, their entire system is now on smart meters except for people who chose to opt out (at a $17/month fee) plus $75 initial fee. But even for those who opted out (I'm guessing very few people), meters were still replaced with digital meters.
https://www.smeco.coop/services/smart-meters/map
https://www.smeco.coop/services/smart-meters-faq

As the FAQ says, "The meter base and service entrance cables are the customer’s responsibility."

 

[Gilligan]

I missed your post #5 mentioning the separate box. Sorry about that.

The confusion started with OP.....he doesn't want to paint his meter, just the base it plugs in to...like all meters have.

 

[Goldenhawk]

The confusion started with OP.....he doesn't want to paint his meter, just the base it plugs in to...like all meters have.

Well, yeah, we knew that, but why waste the chance for a good argument?

 

[Gilligan]

Well, yeah, we knew that, but why waste the chance for a good argument?

Except I didn't see one. Painting is too serious of a subject to get it wrong though....