Electrical meter and service equipment upgrades cover the meter socket, service mast, riser, and main disconnect at your property line. The electric meter sits at the boundary between utility equipment and your home’s wiring. Problems at the meter socket, service mast, or overhead drop connection can cut power, fail inspection, or delay a panel upgrade. STS Electric provides meter-related electrical services for Chicago homes and small commercial spaces: repairing damaged meter cans, replacing rusted enclosures, coordinating new service with the utility, and clarifying what the homeowner’s electrician handles versus what the utility owns.
What Electric Meter Services Include
Meter work spans several components on or near the exterior service entrance.
Meter socket and enclosure. The metal box that holds the utility meter can corrode, crack, or lose proper grounding. Loose lugs and overheating at the socket are safety issues that require licensed repair.
Service mast and riser. Overhead services use a mast to support the point of attachment and protect conductors entering the building. Leaning masts, damaged weatherheads, and improper clearances fail inspection and can drop power during storms.
Underground service lateral connection. Where the utility stub meets your conduit, improper burial depth, damaged duct, or failed splices may need excavation and rewiring on the customer side per utility rules.
Main disconnect and grounding electrode. While not the meter itself, service upgrades often replace the main disconnect adjacent to the meter equipment. Bonding and grounding must be correct before the utility sets a new meter.
Who Owns the Electric Meter?
This is one of the most common questions we hear on site.
Utility-owned: The glass or digital meter module that records usage is owned and sealed by ComEd in most Chicago-area residential services. You do not open, bypass, or replace the utility meter yourself.
Customer-owned: The meter socket, service entrance conductors on the load side up to certain defined points, mast, weatherhead, and panel equipment are typically the property owner’s responsibility to maintain. Exact demarcation can vary by service type; we confirm during the site visit and coordinate with utility guidance when needed.
If power is out and the issue is on the utility side of the demarcation, you may need ComEd first. If the meter can is damaged, pulled away from the wall, or failed inspection, a licensed electrician handles the repair before the utility reconnects.
When You Need an Electrician for Meter Work
Call for professional meter-related services when:
ComEd or an inspector tags your meter socket for repair or replacement. You see burn marks, melting, or a loose meter fitting. You are upgrading from 100A to 200A service and need a new meter pan rated for the load. A home purchase inspection flags mast height, clearance, or rust. You are adding solar, battery storage, or generator interconnect that requires a meter or disconnect change. Storm damage bent the mast or pulled service conductors away from the building.
STS Electric documents existing service size, socket condition, and clearance before we quote work. In Chicago, exterior service equipment is often installed in rigid conduit with proper supports and sealing. We follow city inspection requirements and utility specifications so your reconnect is not delayed by rework.
New Service and Utility Coordination
Major projects such as a full electrical service upgrade follow a sequence: load calculation, panel and meter equipment selection, permit, rough-in inspection, utility release, meter set, and final inspection. Homeowners cannot speed every step, but hiring an electrician who knows Chicago utility process prevents common holdups.
We install customer-side equipment to ComEd-ready standards, label circuits clearly, and leave the site accessible for the utility meter install. If your panel also needs replacement, we coordinate meter pan and electrical panel work in one plan so you are not paying for duplicate mobilizations.
What STS Electric Does On Site
Our meter service visits start with safety. We verify whether power should be disconnected at the utility or main disconnect before repair. Typical tasks include:
Removing and replacing damaged meter sockets with listed equipment rated for your service amperage. Rebuilding the service mast, weatherhead, and attachment point to meet clearance rules. Running new conduit and conductors between meter and panel when existing wire is undersized or damaged. Correcting grounding and bonding errors that failed inspection. Preparing documentation and photos for utility release and city inspection.
We do not perform unauthorized utility work inside sealed meters. We do perform the customer-side repairs utilities require before they restore service. Follow-up work inside the home, such as correcting a main panel that overheated from a loose meter lug, is handled through our electrical repair service with the same crew continuity when possible.
Permits and Inspections in Chicago
Meter socket replacement and service entrance work require permits in Chicago. STS Electric pulls permits when the scope demands it and meets inspectors on site. Failed inspections due to wrong socket rating, improper mast support, or missing GEC connections are avoidable when the first install follows code. Our crews work in conduit daily on Chicago buildings and know what inspectors expect on alleys, garages, and front-wall installations.
FAQ: Meter Problems Homeowners Ask About
Can I upgrade my meter can without upgrading the whole panel?
Sometimes, if the panel is adequately rated and connections are sound. Often an upgrade to 200A includes both meter equipment and panel replacement. We advise after measuring load and inspecting both sides.
Why did ComEd disconnect my meter?
Utilities disconnect for safety tags, fire damage, payment issues, or unauthorized work. If the tag cites customer equipment, an electrician must repair and obtain inspection release before reconnect.
Is a humming meter normal?
Some noise from transformers or load is normal. Arcing, buzzing with flickering lights, or hot meter bases are not. Shut off loads if safe, avoid touching the equipment, and call for service.
Meter Work vs Panel and Service Upgrades
Customers sometimes ask whether they need a full upgrade when only the meter can failed inspection. The answer depends on ampacity, conductor size, and panel condition. A new socket on a sound 200A service with adequate wire may be enough. A rusted 100A pan on an overcrowded fuse box often triggers a broader project linking meter equipment, main disconnect, and panel replacement in one permit. Prior inspection findings from a home electrical safety inspection help us scope that decision quickly.
We perform load calculations when you add central air, EV charging, or rental unit kitchens so the utility sees a service size that matches real demand. Undersized service leads to nuisance outages and heat at the meter lugs. Oversized service without panel upgrades wastes money. Our goal is a right-sized plan you can execute once.
After-Hours and Emergency Meter Concerns
Sparking at the meter, a pulled-away socket, or fire department red tags require fast response. If power is unstable, stay clear of the equipment and call our 24/7 emergency service. We stabilize customer-side hazards, then schedule permanent repair and inspection release. For non-urgent tags found during a purchase inspection, we book standard meter service and coordinate utility reconnect after city approval.
Repair work beyond the socket may include conductor replacement in conduit, new grounding electrode conductors, or mast rebuilds. We explain each line item so lenders and buyers understand why meter-only pricing was not possible on a degraded service entrance.
Schedule Electrical Meter and Service Equipment Upgrades in Chicago
Delays at the meter can block closings, renovations, and tenant move-ins. STS Electric helps Chicago owners fix customer-side meter and service entrance problems quickly and to code. Visit us at 939 W North Ave #746, Chicago, IL 60642, or call (773) 721-1111 to describe your meter tag, inspection failure, or upgrade plans. We are available 24/7 when loss of power creates an emergency at your property.
