My gas meter is in my basement---in the reloading room------I got a new "reader"---when she saw my loading room I thought she was going to have a heart attack-----choking,gasping,almost crying----"OH MY GOD-----what is all that ammunition for???-----"---as she walked closer to the meter she was trembling so bad that she could hardly enter the reading on the telecorder---she turned and ran up the stairs,and out the door------stoping at the next house,and printing something on the telecorder.......

4 days later I get a notice that I MUST open my house for a complete inspection of all my gas appliances,pipes,and meters.......

Im not happy-----when I asked them to move the meter outside I was told that I would have to pay for the move.....

NOT A HAPPY CAMPER

Tom

First, write the check and move the meter.

Check with your state public utilities commission as to what the gas company can and cannot do BEFORE the gas company visits. This is some respects is a warrantless search and you need to protect your rights regardless of what the gas company tells you.

A call to a lawyer might be in order too (yes, another check).

Next, get a bunch of old sheets and cover all ammo, shells, powder, loaders, etc. before the visit. They may have the right to inspect the appliances, but they cannot move anything not related.

Sounds like the woman is a pure TWITT. The gas company cannot force you to have a complete inspection of your appliances. They have no legal athority to force anything. A secondly they cannot legally shut off your gas service without first going through the legal channels. i.e. bill collections, gas theft etc. Having any amount of ammunition and where you store it is EXACTLY NONE OF THEIR BUSINESS!!! I would call the lawyer first, and see if he could force the gas company to move your meter if they don't like where it is AT THEIR EXPENCE. Another avenue would be to get on their self meter read list. To do that you have to read your own meter monthly and return their form before they send you a bill.

Chuck

P.S. I hope that that woman comes to my reloading room! It would be a comedy routine to watch her faint.

Chuck

A simple phone call to the gas company might resolve the situation quite easily. Beware of free legal advice.

You have probably been reported to the local police as a potential mass shooter, FBI and Homeland Security.

She as also told all her co-workers, friends, therapy group and half the people she meets on the street.

For the last 30 years, I keep everying in my home in places where my stuff cannot be seen, for just this reason.

If I have any type of service or work done in my house, like furnace, water heater, phone, cable, those people never see 'nuttin..

I am not paranoid, I have met too many flakes in my lifetime to trust anybody.

Hoplophobia (irrational and morbid fear of weapons) is a recognized psychological condition. If you decide to pursue legal action, you may want to mention it to your lawyer and have him force the meter reader to submit to a psychological evaluation.

Bet that would end the harassment real quick!

Your reloading stuff can be a hazard to HVAC equipment, I have seen it happen in person

One time I got a call about no A/C in a house when I got there I went to the mechanical room and the return air duct was crushed because the guy stacked a ton of shot on top of it, he was fairly old and didn't under stand he said he had done it like that since he lived in the house

I just told him I guess it was the bag that broke the ducts back LOL

I am just kidding ( the duct story is true though) the lady sounds like the typical nut case we all have to deal with

I'd call the gas company and work it out with them, I had the same problem a long time ago and they moved the meter

I have thousands of rounds of shotgun, pistol,rifle ammo and of course any number of guns might be out at any time - when I have repair folks coming or any strangers, it's all covered up or put away where they won't see it. Not because I worry about their "sensitivity" to firearms but what they're going to go back and tell their friends they saw in my basement. Next thing you know, their friends are prying open my back door when no one is home and ransacking my house. Better that they not know it's there.

Whenever I see a decent room divider at a garage sale, I pick it up for the basement. You can never be too careful.

Just another empty headed liberal who's "terrified" of those "bad guns". She was probably afraid one of your guns would load itself and shoot her, you know how they "think"...Bill

I was on vacation when the man came to do the inspection,when the guy watching

my house refused to let him in,he gave him a"hang-tag" with this information---

" The Code of Federal Regulations,Title49,Part 192--REQUIRES Vectren to periodically evaluate all gas system piping,upstream of the meter outlet"

"Vectren MUST gain access to the premises to complete the required evaluation"

To date,I have called 20 of my friends,to see if they have had this"mandatory inspection"----none have

I will keep you posted

Tom

If you were given the code info, I would think you could find it on line.

Are you sure it says "UPSTREAM OF THE METER OUTLET?"

If so this means between the pipe in the street (the service line) and the meter - it does NOT mean the appliances, etc. in your house - they are downstream of the meter...

Here is the Federal Code - spend some time reading through it (there is quite a bit) and see if you really MUST provide access.

http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title49/49cfr192_main_02.tpl

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If it truly asks for access to the pipe UPSTREAM of the meter that means access from the meter to where the pipe penetrates your house wall. How great a distance cam this be?? A few feet at best????

I agree with what(you pointed out) is said about "upstream from the meter" (2 feet to wall)----that is totally different from what he told my "house-sitter",that he must check ALL of the gas appliances for leaks and proper vents... I have contacted the company--made an apointment---will have a witness(lawyer)with me------cost me 200.00----called CYA

I don't know where you live but here in MN the gas meters our outside of the residence. Based on my experience over the last 20 yrs of home ownership there is no way I would allow the gas meter to be inside my residence. I have had two of them fail over that time. They were at different homes. You could always switch to another form of energy if they do not want to move the meter outside.

I've never seen gas meters inside a house before either and can't imagine any reason for putting them there. Ours are in the alley, about 50' or more from the house. Meter readers can easily walk down the alley and read the meters.

I wouldn't let any kind of meter reader enter my house to read the meter every month. That's just asking for trouble IMO. Before the electric company got the "smart" meters, their reader had to stand on a stool with binoculars to read the meter over the fence. Wasn't a problem for them, in fact they didn't like to enter yards because of unfriendly dogs.

John-Rem 31 My home was built in the 30s Gas,Water,and Electric meters were ALL inside

The Electric meter(basement stairwell) was a bottom connect,"5 amp,120 volt"-The fuse box was made by "COLT FIREARMS CO."----------of course it has been changed to a 200amp service"Outside"

In Indiana,when I started working for the Power Co.here,---I found meters in bathrooms,bedrooms,basements,attics,,etc.----some you could see through a window--some you had to climb stairs,go across walkboards to read/maintain the meters------

During WW11,this town being a GM/Factory town---houses were built as fast as possible for the "War Workers"----------- Some of the "boxes" were built on "railroad tie" foundation-----240v meters were not available-so,-----several were built with the old "knob and tubing"electric system------pennies behind fuses was a common find...

Tom----------------------------------

P.S.,my Attny is checking with the Gas Co as to WHY they will not move the meter outside.

Im with REM on this...A few things you can try.

About Midnight on weekends call into the gas company and report you smell gas coming from the meter...Continue to do this about every week. Ask them why new houses dont have gas meters inside? Gas meters have vents on them to expell gas you dont want this in your house...If they want paid to fix a problem they created...Tell them you are going all electric for safety reasons. It wasnt that long ago a whole city block went up in Cali...Stress the safety issue and how you continuly smell gas coming from the meter...( how you cant sleep at night knowing that the meter could expel gas into your house)Just a few ideas I might try...

HSLDS, You beat me to it. In our old house we have gas heaters in some rooms. We were looking to have one replaced and it has things in it that I didn't want others to see. I used all the sheets and blankets that I could find to cover anything and everything. I know he thought it was strange but so be it. What I have is my business and no one elses.

KIV-C, thats a good idea. Also you mght be able to sue the gas co because she is telling others of what you have, there for invading your privacy. That is a big problem now adays for a co. Turn the tables on them.

Gas meters inside the house?

John Galt, sounds like you have not beem around that long. : )

Perhaps so Rick, but I've been in some old houses and have never seen such a thing although I have seen electric meters in a closet which was accessable from outdoors. Possibly this is something which was done in only part of the country- my guess is the Northeast.

Can somebody explain to me just how a meter reader would enter someone's home to read a meter. Do they carry keys to everybody's house or what? Do they knock on the door every day until somebody opens it? Are they trained in lock picking? I find this practice very confusing, if not completely insane.