Meter Tampering

Meter

All meters will be furnished, owned, installed and removed by Tri-County Electric Cooperative.

Seals will be placed on all meters, meter enclosures, or metering transformers for the purpose of security. Breaking these seals or tampering with meters, their associated equipment, or interconnecting wiring is prohibited. Unauthorized possession and use of a stolen meter; the unauthorized manipulation, such as inverting, relocating, or swapping of meter or registers; the resetting of demand type meters; the internal tampering of metering device affecting the proper registration of energy consumed is also prohibited. Meter tampering may result in prosecution under the laws of South Carolina; Section 16-13-380, 16-13-385.

If a member-consumer is found consuming electricity so that any or all of the energy consumed is not registered through a meter provided by the cooperative:

  1. The member-consumer will be held responsible
  2. The member-consumer may be required to pay for damages.
  3. Additional meter deposit may be requested.
  4. The cooperative may estimate billing for the period of time that the meter was not registering the correct kilowatt consumption.
  5. The member-consumer may be required to pay all additional costs incurred by the cooperative as a result of the incident.
  6. The member-consumer may be required to pay a $200.00 Cut Seal Charge and $200.00 Meter Tampering Fee.
     

SOUTH CAROLINA UTILITY THEFT & TAMPERING LAW 

Section 16-13-380. Theft of Electric Current Any person who (a) has no contract, agreement, license, or permission with or from any person authorized to manufacture, sell or use electricity for the purpose of light, heat, or power with or from any authorized agent of the person for the use of electrical current belonging to or produced or furnished by the person and (b) willfully withdraws or causes to be withdrawn in any manner and appropriate for his/her own use or for the use of any other person the current from the wires of the person authorized to manufacture, sell, or use electricity is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction for a first offense, must be punished by a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars or by imprisonment not exceeding thirty days. For a second or subsequent offense, the person is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than ten thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than three years, or both. Any person who shall aid, abet, or assist the person in the withdrawing and appropriating of the current from the wires to or for the use of the other person or to or for the use of any other person is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be punished in like manner. 

Section 16-13-385. Altering, tampering with or bypassing electric, gas or water meters. 

(A) It is unlawful for an unauthorized person to alter, tamper with, or bypass a meter which has been installed for the purpose of measuring the use of electricity, gas, or water. A meter found in a condition which would cause electricity, gas, or water to be diverted from the recording apparatus of the meter or to cause the meter to inaccurately measure the use of electricity, gas, or water or the attachment to a meter or distribution wire of any device, mechanism, or wire which would permit the use of unmetered electricity, gas, or water or would cause a meter to inaccurately measure the use is prima facie evidence that the person in whose name the meter was installed or the person for whose benefit electricity, gas, or water was diverted caused the electricity, gas, or water to be diverted from going through the meter or the meter to inaccurately measure the use of the electricity, gas, or water. 

(B) A person who violates the provisions of this section for a first offense is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than five hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than thirty days. For a second or subsequent offense, the person is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than ten thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than three years, or both.