I am very upset with San Isabel Electric and their insistence of installing the electric meter on a pedestal instead of the home. It seems that the PWMD board and PWCOA have no ability, or desire, to stop this absurd practice.
I contacted Intermountain Rural Electric Association, Black Hills Electric, Xcel, and Colorado Springs Utilities. All four companies have told me that the primary reasons they install very few, if any meters, on remote pedestals is: 1) safety issues, 2) their customers DO NOT LIKE this type of installation.
WHY THE COST IS SO HIGH ON THIS TYPE OF INSTALLATION:
The International Electric Code requires that:
1) the home have a main shut off, breaker, and uffer ground where the 240 volt line enters the home (box shown on the home to the rear of meter).
2) the buried 240v line must now have an additional ground wire running back to the meter from the house wall shutoff (4 wires instead of 3 wires).
3) the meter box at the transformer must have additional 10' copper ground rods driven into the ground near it.
4) the Pueblo County building department must make an additional inspection of the electric line.
None of the above is required when the meter is 'piggy backed" on a wall.
When a utility company creates their permanent public utility easement with the original customer, which must be on the owners private property, the utility company is responsible legally for their line and equipment, up to and including the meter, no matter where it's installed. When the line exits the rear of the meter, it now becomes the property of the home owner and the liability of the Builder and his sub contractors. This liability is greatly increased because the Builder does not have the ability or money to create and defend a public utility easement like SIEA does.
SIEA is a "not for profit" association who will be making money on the home for at least the next hundred years. I have to hire a "for profit" electrical contractor and underground contractor who will only be making money on the work performed. Unless SIEA is charging exorbitant rates to install the additional underground line, then SIE should be cheaper.
MY JANUARY 17th, 2013 RESPONSE LETTER TO THE PEDESTALS:
Please note that I brought this to the attention of the board at the October meeting and that Mr. Rudolf had not contacted anyone from the PWMD board or the COA prior to that meeting.
PLEASE DOWLOAD THE FILE BELOW TO VIEW THE LETTER:
| my_response_to_meters_to_all_jan_17.pdf |
UPDATE:
Our attorney told the PWMD board of directors, just prior to the board giving Mr. Rudolf the letters of condemnation, that they have no legal ability to bring suit against SIEA. It is my belief that they should never have taken that card off the table and should at least try to bring a class action suit against them.
JANUARY 17, 2013 PUEBLO WEST COA's RESPONSE TO SIEA PEDESTAL METERS:
PLEASE DOWLOAD THE FILE BELOW TO VIEW THE LETTER:
| coa_response_to_siea_pedestal_meters.pdf |
JANUARY 22, 2013 PWMD BOARD'S RESPONSE TO SIEA PEDESTAL METERS:
PLEASE DOWLOAD THE FILE BELOW TO VIEW THE LETTER:
| pwmd_board_of_directors_response_to_siea_meters.pdf |
FEBRUARY 5, 2013 SIEA BOARD/MR. RUDOLF'S RESPONSE TO PWMD & COA LETTERS
PLEASE DOWLOAD THE FILE BELOW TO VIEW THE LETTER:
| siea_feb_5th_response_to_coa_and_pwmd_with_pictures.pdf |
FEBRUARY 21, 2013 MY REQUEST TO SIEA TO NOT INSTALL FIBERGLASS BASE.
PLEASE DOWLOAD THE FILE BELOW TO VIEW THE LETTER:
| my_response_to_february_5th_sie_letter.pdf |
March 6th, 2013 MY RESPONSE TO SIEA'S FEBRUARY 5th LETTER:
PLEASE DOWLOAD THE FILE BELOW TO VIEW THE LETTER:
| my_2nd_response_to_february_5th_sie_letter.pdf |