"Here’s a story that is true, sent in by one of our clients"

By R. Bruce Wright, CPCU

As the distribution industry moves from mechanical meters and on-site meter readers toward the new world of electronic metering, allowing “drive-by” or even more remote meter-reading, what is lost is regular monthly visits to users’ locations. Hazard identification may be transferred to line patrol crews or servicemen, but other issues can, and occasionally do, crop up.

Of course, most consumers are hard working and honest, even scrupulous in their attention to paying their bills and dealing fairly with everyone they meet. But every now and then, another type of person may be found on the lines. Here’s a story that is true, sent in by one of our systems, with the photo to back it up. It’s just too weird to have been made up, and too good not to share.

My contact was a safety officer, now retired, at a large southern system. Here’s what he said in his note:

I was just looking through your Hazardous Pictures file from your recent e-mail. It reminded me of something we found. We had a consumer who LOVED us so much he adorned his meter and meter base as if paying homage to his great provider of electricity. However, we noticed that his usage had dropped dramatically. So we dispatched a Meter Reader to investigate a "low-read" at this residence. The Meter Reader discovered a beautifully decorated platform above the meter base, with a tribute to both our military [complete with helicopter] and to his power provider [a model bucket truck with our client's name on it] as well as a floral wreath around the meter and plastic pine roping up and down the post. Upon closer investigation, the Meter Reader found that the floral wreath was hiding a BB-sized hole in the glass with a wire dragging on the disc. This consumer loved us so much that they were stealing electricity! Pretty clever, but not enough. They got a $100 tampering fee, and a much closer eye from us thereafter.

Well, while most folks are honest, and most dishonest ones are not overly sharp, you should keep and eye out for the rare ones that combine a tendency toward theft with a streak of creativity!