Ride Along with the CoServ Meter Shop
WITH MORE THAN 300,000 electric meters and an average of 1,300 new ones being added every month, CoServ’s Meter Shop stays busy testing, installing and verifying meters.
Their goal is to ensure the meters are operating properly, recording electrical usage accurately and communicating the data back to CoServ.
“Electricity takes a long journey to reach your home or business, and it’s the Meter Shop’s job to ensure the final step in that process, that the electricity used is measured accurately,” said Kevin Maynard, CoServ’s Meter Communications Superintendent.
CoServ’s Communications team rode along with Matthew Ingram, a Senior Meter Tech, to several sites to get a taste of the different jobs they do.
First, Matthew drove to a construction site in Allen off Central Expressway where a business was ready for its temporary meter installation, which allows construction workers to power their lighting and power tools. The connections were hot, meaning the electricity was flowing when Matthew connected the meter, so he not only wore insulated gloves and double layers of fire-retardant clothing but also donned a plastic face covering and a balaclava to protect his face and head.
After finishing that job, Matthew drove to the Allen Premium Outlet Mall just down the road. CoServ tests every commercial meter in our system every three to five years to make sure they’re working properly. Using sophisticated equipment, the meter techs test to ensure meter accuracy. If the meter doesn’t meet CoServ’s strict parameters, it doesn’t pass. The meter, which serves several tenants at the mall, passed all its tests.
“We want to make sure the Member knows exactly what they’re being billed – here’s how much you’re using and that it’s accurate,” Kevin said. “We do this testing every day.”
On another day, Matthew and two other meter techs drove to an apartment complex under construction just north of PGA Frisco. First, the meter techs worked together to install the 70 meters and energize the panels in the meter room. The job is far from over, though, because Matthew needs to walk all 70 units to ensure the meters are labeled properly. Using a radio, he notifies the tech in the meter room which unit he’s in and they turn on power for that unit. Once it’s energized, Matthew uses a voltage detector to confirm the power from that meter is flowing to the right apartment.
Continuous calibrating, testing and record keeping is important, especially for a fast-growing utility like CoServ.
Whether they’re installing a single commercial meter, testing existing meters or installing several dozen at an apartment complex, meter techs are a critical part of CoServ’s mission to provide excellent service to Members by keeping the electric meters working accurately and reliably.
