What is a general price to replace a burnt lug connected to my electric meter?

Question

We had a bunch of bad storms roll through a bit ago, and I have only been getting partial power since. We assumed one of the phases was off. I called the electric company and they FINALLY came out. Power was on for a day then off again... 2 weeks later and 6 calls later, they finally came back out ,and after repeated questioning by me, informed me that the "top lug is burned" under my meter. The electrician I spoke with , said that he charges $35 an hour. plus cost of parts and the like. The main problem will be if he gets out there and there are other problems he's required to "bring it up to code".

Besides the price of the "lug" should I watch out for anything more? How suspicious should I be?

Answer 1

The lug shouldn't cost more than a dollar or two. If you know someone who is familiar with electrical work, have them replace it for you...making sure that the electricity is turned off before they try to fix it.

Answer 2

You said 'under the meter' which leads me to believe the meter will have to be removed to repair it.  Normally the meter is attached with a seal which will void the service agreement and you could face fines.  It's not the cost of the replacement lug, its knowing how to replace it safely and legally.  You ought to contact a couple licensed electricians to get some quotes and ideas.

Answer 3

do it yourself---try not to get killed