SERVICE CHANGES AND METER BASE REPLACEMENT.
A service change is the part of the system between the utility and your panel: the mast, the weatherhead, the meter base and the grounding. When it fails, nothing downstream of it is reliable.
Signs the service needs attention
Most service calls that turn into a service change start as something else. Lights that dim across the whole house, a meter base that is rusted through or pulling away from the wall, or a mast that a storm has bent away from the roofline.
- Meter base rusted, cracked, or loose on the wall
- Service mast pulled loose, bent, or leaning after wind
- Whole-house dimming and brightening rather than one circuit
- Exposed or frayed conductors at the weatherhead
- Utility has red tagged the service
What gets replaced
The work is scoped to what the inspection actually finds. A mast repair after a storm is not the same job as a full service change, and you are quoted for the one you need rather than the larger one.
- Meter base and enclosure
- Service mast, weatherhead and riser
- Service entrance conductors
- Grounding electrode and bonding
- Panel, where the same visit makes sense for the condition
Working with the utility
Every service change needs CPS Energy to disconnect before the work and reconnect after inspection. Scheduling that is part of the job, and the sequence is set before the first tool comes out so the house is not sitting without power waiting on a call.
Common questions
What is the difference between a panel upgrade and a service change?
A panel upgrade replaces the load center inside. A service change replaces what feeds it: the mast, meter base, entrance conductors and grounding. Many homes need both, and the walk-through tells you which.
Who contacts CPS Energy, me or you?
We do. The disconnect and reconnect are scheduled as part of the job.
My meter base was damaged in a storm. Can you repair just that?
Often yes. Storm damage to a mast or meter base is quoted as its own repair when the rest of the service is sound.
Call: (210) 831-2520