What’s Yours, What’s Ours, and Who Is Responsible for Maintaining It?

A meter base is the metal box that houses the meter on your home or business. They are usually located on the side of the home or business or on a post or pole in the yard.

The meter base is owned by you, the customer, and is your responsibility to maintain. Over time, a meter base can rust and become unsafe. Be sure to inspect your meter base occasionally and look for areas of rust. A rusted-out meter base can cause an electrical short, overheating and potentially causing a fire or an unplanned power outage. Keep in mind that Central Lincoln must have access to your meter at all times. Please do not build enclosures around the meter or meter base, and keep vegetation out of the way.

Central Lincoln maintains the wires and facilities that deliver electricity and the meters that measure electricity use. The diagram below shows a home electrical system and who is responsible for what. Central Lincoln maintains the items in blue. The customer maintains the items in red.

Please contact a licensed electrician if you plan to repair, replace, or upgrade electrical equipment like your meter base. Never attempt to access your meter base or the electric meter yourself.

Overhead Residential Electric Service

  1. Service Drop: Central Lincoln repairs the wire that runs to your home, but we do not trim trees along the service drop. We will shut off the power at your request so trees can be trimmed safely.
  2. Point of Attachment: You are responsible for the anchor that attaches the service drop to your home.
  3. Service Entrance Cable: You are responsible for the wire that runs along the outside of your home into the meter and from the meter to your service panel or fuse box.
  4. Meter Base: You own and are responsible for the metal box that houses the meter.
  5. Meter: Central Lincoln owns/maintains the meter that measures electricity use.
  6. Service Fuse Box: You are responsible for the box, the circuit breakers or fuses, and all of the wiring in your home.

Underground Residential Electric Service

  1. Meter: Central Lincoln owns/maintains the meter that measures electricity use.
  2. Meter Base: You own and are responsible for the metal box that houses the meter.
  3. Transformer: Central Lincoln owns/maintains the transformer mounted on a pole (3A) or pad (3B).
  4. Cable Inside Conduit: Central Lincoln owns/maintains the cable inside the conduit from the transformer to the meter base.
  5. Customer Conduit: You own/maintain the conduit from the meter base to just below the ground, including the 90-degree elbow at the bottom.
  6. Central Lincoln Conduit: Central Lincoln owns/maintains the conduit from the 90-degree elbow back to the source.
  7. Service Hand Hole: Central Lincoln owns the open-bottomed junction box with removable lid that provides for installation and maintenance of electrical connectors.