Adding a New Meter
I have seen a few post on this topic but I still have questions. I have a 2 family. I would like to install a meter so that the tenant on the top floor pays their own electricty. What are the pros & cons of this?
I have seen a few post on this topic but I still have questions. I have a 2 family. I would like to install a meter so that the tenant on the top floor pays their own electricty. What are the pros & cons of this?
Ditmiss and cmu: What I wrote about was intermingled (shared) service. Try reading comprehension. Try reading the link I posted to NYC Administrative Code, and the NYS Shared Meter Law link posted by 1910.
Here is the New York State Shared Meter Law
http://bk.ly/bmp or
http://www.pulp.tc/Shared_Meter_Law_091509.pdf
Sorry, it was January 25
http://bk.ly/bMM
check the forum archives January 15 under Electricians category Separating Electric Meters for feedback including laws and definition of meter sharing.
Bkkel – if I recall correctly, when we added a second meter on our 2 family, we had to file permits with the city. It really wasn’t that big a deal. I don’t remember the overall cost because we were upgrading all the electrical at that time. The electrician took care of it – they were on Bond Street but have since moved and I’ve forgotten the name. Vinca is incorrect – there is no law that says a two family must have seperate meters.
Thanks. I plan on having a seperate meter installed for my tenant as well bringing her circuit breaker up to her apartment (it’s in the basement).
DOn;t be ridiculous, vinca. Old browsnstones which are legal 2 families rarely have a common meter. Besides, you also apparently can’t put 2 & 2 together…two hall lights and the boiler…wow, how much ‘care’ need I observe to rein in my profligate energy usage?! Maybe you should advise my tenant to sue me.
If you have a legal two family then you should already have two meters. The common loads such as basement, boiler controls and outside lighting should be wired to the primary meter. Sometimes the landlord lives in the part that was intended for a tenant.
Don’t bother with a third meter. Besides the install costs, the rate on it is higher than normal. It does not pay in your case. At most isolate the common loads and feed them from the panel supplied by your meter. Your tenant should received a bill directly from ConEd in there own name.
cmu, apparently no incentive for you as LL to observe the same care as your tenant, because if your meters were legal the tenant’s service would not be intermingled with common area billing, nor would it be a problem for tenant to receive bills in their own name. OP, NYC Code re: electric meter installation, restriction: http://bit.ly/av1vUZ