How much does it cost to change an electric meter: the cost of replacing an electricity meter in an apartment and a private house
Replacing an electricity meter does not occur often, however, it still has to be reinstalled due to relocation, breakdown of an old device, supplier requirements or tariff plan replacement. Before buying a new device, you should clarify at whose expense it is purchased and installed.
Let's try to figure out how much it costs to change the electric meter, if all the efforts to replace fall on the shoulders of the homeowner. We also consider which manufacturers of metering devices you can trust when choosing the right meter.
The content of the article:
Reasons for replacing the meter
Each electricity meter has a guaranteed lifetime set by the manufacturer. After its expiration it is required to replace the device with a working modern model.
It is better to monitor the operation of the meter yourself, not hoping for a management company or supplier. Information on the service life can be found in the technical data sheet. The expired calibration interval is a direct way to replace the instrument.
The second reason to make a replacement is the mismatch of the accuracy class with current standards.
In accordance with the applicable regulations set out in Decree RF No 442 (2016 edition)are allowed to use exclusively devices of class 2.0 or higher. Household electric meters with accuracy class 1.5 or 1.0 are considered more accurate.
This means that for every 100 W of energy actually spent, an error of 2% (1.5%, 1%) is possible, that is, the device can show both 98 W and 102 W. Devices with class 2.5 are considered obsolete and must be replaced immediately.
There are several more situations in which it is necessary to replace the counter:
- Measurement results sharply increased or decreased, do not correspond to the usual value or completely ceased to be displayed.
- Sealing of the device or other signs of verification is broken.
- There is mechanical damage to the case or display.
Failure can be noticed even by such a sign as a jerky, intermittent rotation of the disk or a chaotic “skipping” of numbers.
If the glass is broken, a crack appears on the case, the seal is clearly broken, you should immediately call an electrician and contact the Criminal Code for advice.
The owner must take the initiative to replace the device, but you should not rush to pay for the purchase and installation. It is possible that all activities will be carried out at the expense of some organization.
When is the new meter paid by the owner?
The payment and installation rules change from time to time, and now we are again witnessing changes in regulatory requirements. But while the new legislation has not come into force, we will consider the existing provisions that homeowners may face before 2020.
Option # 1 - non-privatized apartment
With non-privatized housing owned by the municipality, as always, the hassle is most. According to Civil Code of the Russian Federation, owners of the house should be responsible for energy metering devices - that is, for example, a city.
Representatives of the Criminal Code often refer to Art. 543 of the Civil Code and argue that the tenant must be responsible for the safe operation of the device (which is true), which means that, if necessary, he must change it. However, they forget that the tenant does not directly take electricity from the supplier, but through the power-receiving installations of the house, which are not his property.
Therefore, he is not a subscriber of Energosbyt. This role is assigned just to the management company, which is in charge of all the electrical equipment. Simply put, according to the law, it is the Criminal Code that must pay for the replacement of an obsolete or broken device.
If representatives of the management company refuse to install the new apparatus, we recommend that you file a complaint with the housing inspectorate.
Option # 2 - apartment ownership
According to Art. 210 Civil Codeif the housing is owned, the owner of the apartment assumes all responsibility for metering devices.
This applies to both options:
- if the meter is installed on a common staircase or in a common corridor;
- if the meter is an element in-room electrical panel.
But there are times when the device changes, say, by the management company. This occurs during the planned replacement of all devices, regardless of the year of manufacture.
In rare cases, neighbors who accidentally or intentionally disable the equipment become guilty of damage to electrical installations or a meter - provided that it is located in a common cabinet for several apartments. Accordingly, they fully compensate for the damage, and if they do not want to do it of their own free will, the matter is decided in court.
If the organization - the management company is responsible for all the equipment - then this should be spelled out in the contract.
Option # 3 –– a private house
The rules for replacing an electricity meter for a private house do not differ from the requirements for owners of privatized apartments.
To find out who will install the new device, you need to look into the service contract. The responsible person, the owner of the house or the management company, must draw up a contract with the supplier, whose employees will choose the appropriate device and carry out installation work.
The replacement procedure is carried out in stages, in a certain order:
- application for replacement, choice of date of time for work;
- taking readings, sealing and dismantling the device;
- installation of a new device, connection and testing;
- installation of the machine at the entrance;
- verification and sealing of the electricity meter by Energosbyt representatives.
If the reinstallation process takes a long time, for example, a week, the payment for electricity for the current period is calculated based on average readings.
What will change from 2020?
Since December 28, 2018, materials on changes related to electricity metering systems have been posted on the official Internet portal of legal information.
The good news awaits residents of the country: all responsibilities for installing, using, checking electricity meters are completely transferred to suppliers. The only requirement for homeowners is to monitor the integrity of the appliances.
It is planned over time to change all devices to “smart” analogs that transmit readings without the participation of people. Homeowners do not need to buy or install new appliances, but it is not yet known how the changes will affect utility bills for electricity in general.
But now users are obliged to transmit the readings of electricity meters themselves. We talked about the best ways to transmit data for light in our other article.
Electricity meter prices
Today on the market you can find dozens of models of metering devices that meet the requirements of electricity suppliers. Their cost is from 1,000 to several tens of thousands of rubles. Among the popular brands -Mercury, SEB, ESR, CE. Domestic devices are inexpensive, an average of 1-2 thousand rubles.
Several inexpensive popular devices that differ in type and characteristics:
If your old electric meter suddenly stops working, then for a small amount you can purchase one of these devices or a more advanced modification. It makes no sense to buy an expensive device, since less than 2 years are left before the start of a widespread change of devices.
Cost of replacement work
There are no specific tariffs for the replacement of metering devices and there cannot be, since the cost depends on the region, the rules of the management company and Energosbyt. Representatives of the electricity supplier request one amount, private traders - another, and a familiar electrician can completely replace the device for free.
The procedure and rules for performing the replacement of the electric meter we examined in detail in next article.
Remember that no matter what the installation of the device, verification, sealing, registration is made only by representatives of the sales company.
If instead of a conventional electronic device you want to install an intelligent device, the cost will increase to 9 thousand rubles.
The cost of individual installation work is much lower. Suppose, in the Vologda Oblast, installing a 1-phase meter costs about 650 rubles, while installing a 3-phase meter is 2 times more expensive. If the installation is accompanied by a transfer of the electrical panel, the price rises to 3-5 thousand rubles.
Simply put, how much does it cost to replace an electricity meter in a private house or apartment, you can find out only by analyzing the installation conditions and average market prices in a particular city / village.
Conclusions and useful video on the topic
In this video, the cheapest way to replace the counter is considered, when the owner will do everything with his own hands:
Self-Replacement Guide:
What problems can you encounter when replacing a counter:
In connection with the latest statements by the president on the implementation of an intelligent electricity metering system, everyone who wants to make a replacement for subjective reasons (I do not like the type, design), we recommend that you wait until July 1, 2020, when the exact deadlines for installing a smart device in your home or apartment will be known.
You recently changed the electric meter and want to tell you how much all the replacement work cost you? Do you have any difficulties with the management company? Share your experience in replacing the electricity meter in the comments section.
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The incoming electricians sometimes openly impose this counter replacement, although it is too early in terms of time, and there are no complaints about the operation of the counter. We recently had to order a sealing and subsequent sealing of the meter, as a wire began to burn and smoke, which could not be reached without violating the integrity of the seal. Unsealing 750 rubles, a new seal 750 rubles, they also tried to persuade both times to change the counter. Consumers of services need to know their rights as a primer: from and to. Otherwise, we will pay not only for the necessary services, but also for our own darkness and lack of enlightenment.
Hmm, we recently changed the old mechanical electric meter to a new electronic one. It turns out that in 2020 again will have to change to this “smart”? Well, at least if, at the expense of the management company or the state, this replacement will be made, but knowing how they like to do in our country, they would not have shifted the costs to the owners. And what responsibility awaits those who refuse to change?
Hello. The meter replacement program is designed for about 10 years, so when the wave reaches your region, it is not known.The replacement will start on July 1, 2020, and the peak wave will be in 2022, judging by what the government decided there.
On your second question, developers and management companies bear the financial burden of procurement and installation. Also, look at the LCD of the Russian Federation, Art. 166 "Overhaul of the common property in an apartment building":
“A normative legal act of a constituent entity of the Russian Federation lists the services and (or) capital repairs of common property in an apartment building financed from the capital repair fund, the amount of which is based on the minimum amount of a capital repair contribution established by a regulatory legal act of a constituent entity of the Russian Federation, can be supplemented by services and (or) works on insulation of the facade, the conversion of a non-ventilated roof to a ventilated roof, the device of exits to the roof, installation automated information and measuring systems for accounting for the consumption of communal resources and utilities, the installation of collective (common-house) meters for the consumption of resources needed to provide utilities, and control and regulation units for the consumption of these resources (thermal energy, hot and cold water, electric energy, gas ) and other types of services and (or) work”.
I receive letters of happiness from our Energocomfort, they demand to replace the counter, because “Otherwise, the calculation will be at an inflated rate.” In the correspondence with the company I referred that the counter has not expired and it is working properly. Now I don’t see any reason to change - our house belongs to TSN, and due to the means of capital repairs, it is necessary to completely change the shields, and not just the counters.
Hello. How does the company justify the requirements? I heard that they allegedly even went home from this company and demanded that the counters be replaced, but it turned out that they were scammers. Look at the return address to see if it belongs exactly to the company and if so, specify the rationale for the requirement.
A letter of happiness was sent to us the other day, which states that we must replace the meter within 10 days. Otherwise, we will increase the post for the energy consumed. A few days before this letter, a lady walked up the porch and campaigned to change the counters, threatening to turn off the lights, and offered a replacement at a price of 7.400 rubles. Issued papers on which Mosobluchet is indicated, although we are served by the Istra Electric Networks company.
Now the paper came from the Istra electricity network, but the devices were tested and no one made any acts of unsuitability, we are regularly paid, and then suddenly they started to attack about a replacement!
Hello. This is a fraud. Most likely, the lady did not come from Mosobluchet, but from swindlers. Do not listen to representatives of organizations with which you have not concluded an energy supply agreement. And even upon the arrival of gas workers from the gas supplier company, be sure to require an identification card from them.
So many cases of fraud! Remember that it makes sense to consider all such prescriptions only from the service company.
My meter is 15 years old, and only 20 thousand kW are wound. Is it not possible to only check it for some payment, such as, for example, water meters?
Hello. If there is no official prescription for replacement as a result of the survey by employees of Energosbyt, then there is no point in changing the electricity meter.
In general, what are your inter-verification deadlines? Have you ever been verified? Electricity meters verify as they do calibration of water meterson time.
Again, there are 2 options:
- Take to the laboratory for verification (and this is money + calculation according to the standard).
- Order field verification (in some cases impossible or impractical).
In the first case, it is often cheaper to replace the device with a new one, so people from the backwoods do not really honor the verification.
And one more question. And your counter has not expired?
Since May, we have been forced to change the meter, the husband went to apply for a replacement. The company gave him a phone number to which an advance payment of five thousand rubles should be transferred, and said that the remaining four thousand after replacing the meter ... He did not write any request for a replacement.
Hello. Everything in your story is somehow ghostly. What does it mean, they gave the phone number to which you need to make an advance payment. They didn’t hear about receipts? And what about the contract? Next, the amount guarded me. Climbed on the site of Mosenergosbyt, in the capital and then, the replacement of MAXIMUM 8500 rubles. Then, the lack of a prepaid claim is also alarming.
Another question is December, if you have problems with the meter since May, why haven’t you accrued the standard (or charged?) For the malfunction of the old device or its expiration date?
Where did your spouse go? Where did the employees tell him to replace the meter, or exactly at the address of the head office indicated on the receipt?
My advice to you is to go to the exact address of Energosbyt yourself. Learn all the nuances even without concluding a contract and receipt, do not make any prepayments. Plus, find out the exact reason for the replacement and get a prescription on hand.
Your story is very similar to stories and reports about scammers who crank up such schemes.