Safety inspections of all Tideland metered services officially kicked off February 21, beginning with the Pantego circuit out of our Pantego substation. In two weeks just over 800 services were inspected, which resulted in several vegetation removal work orders, a consumer notice regarding meter base repairs, and a work order to raise a low-hanging service wire.

One recurring issue is access to the meter base itself. At a minimum, our safety inspection contractor needs a clear sight line no more than six feet away from the front of the meter so he can get a good photograph of the electric service entrance.

Thus far, locked gates or yard dogs have been the primary hindrance to access. In such cases the co-op will reach out to the member to arrange for a successful return visit. While it has been years since the co-op relied on site visits to obtain monthly meter readings, remember that one of the responsibilities of having metered electric service is to provide unobstructed access to the service entrance for Tideland EMC crews and our authorized contractors. If you have enclosed the meter inside a building addition you will be asked to relocate the service. Likewise, damaged meter bases, like the one above, will have to be promptly repaired to ensure continuation of safe electric service.