RGE Requirements for Installation of Electrical Service & Meters Class
February 21, 2019
RGE held a Utility Night in February to go over changes/updates to their 2011 booklet for the Installation of Electrical Services and Meters, and to answer any lingering questions. New York Electrical Inspection Agency took notes. Our notes are only intended to inform and disseminate the information. It is still the responsibility of the electrician to know and implement the NEC Code and RGE Requirements.
Meeting Notes:
RGE Requirements for Installation of Electrical Service & Meters
1) RGE Presenting Introductions – Tony Proctor and Ernest Carrera
2) RGE Requirments Book
a. Mirrors NEC Code Book
b. Consistent with standards
c. User friendly
d. Available on RGE website
3) Minimal changes since 2011 and RGE will not be printing any further paper copies
4)RGE is working on updating service meter booklet
a. Expect on website early 2020
5) Example of Electric Load Sheets
a. Needs to be filled out correctly
b. Accuracy necessary when purposing new service
6) Section 4 in RGE Booklet
a. Examples of 4 services with diagrams
b. Diagram of accessibility by ladder same as NEC
c. Diagram explains where RGE would approve service
7) 600 V Insulators
a. Minimum 4 inch lag bolt
b. Max 25 feet with 36 inch drop loop
8) RGE reserves right to designate service attachment points
a. Electricians should evaluate with customers if its ok with RGE
b. RE spots clearances as required by NEC Code Book
9) NEC Article 230 – Wiring
a. General clearences still valid
b. NEC requires 10 ft clearance
c. RGE requires 12 ft clearance and supersedes NEC
d. Diagram of riser on a house with proper RGE clearances
10) Underground Services –
a. Customer must maintain facilities
b. RGE used to repair damaged services
c. RGE NO LONGER repairs damaged services that are customer
owned
-Electrican/Inspector call in a Disconnect/Reconnect, repair
and then re-energize
d. Some City of Rochester services are RGE owned and these will
be repaired
e. RGE can’t have a customer owned service in a public right-
away
-ie. City rebuilding, sidewalks is RGE issue
-Service on grass would be a customer issue
11) Meter Spacing for Gas & Electric Meters
a. 5 foot minimum if gas over 400 cfh
b. 3 foot minimum if gas under 400 cfh
12) RGE owned poles – any customer installed poles inright-away, customer need galvanized steel conduit for additional protection.
-This is highly recommended over schedule 80
13) RGE wants customers to install OWN Ground Rod at transformer, DO NOT USE EXSISTING
14) Underground services on a Concrete Pad Mount Service
a. Leave 9 feet of cable at transformer
b. Line crews want 4 foot trench within 12″ of service
c. RGE wants you to follow this procedure
15) Underground Services – RGE will investigate issues as to if it is an RGE repair or customer repair
16) Services in conduit system – sand padding required for direct bury service
a. Leave 18 inces of coil prior to meter box, if there is a fault the
extra cable can be reattached then rebuired
17) Direct buried services for lateral riser at company structure
a. No ground conductor in conduit
b. Shall be separate if portable power
c. No grounding for customers with pad mount
18) Communications cables and gas lines may be installed in same trench with a minimum 8 feet away from RGE electric lines
19) RGE DOES NOT REPAIR CUSTOMER OWNED SERICES
20) NEC 680 Pools
a. No power lines to pass above pools, hot tubs or any boy of
water to occupy people
b. Lines must be a minimum 10 feet away from side of pool
c. Underground service wires need to be a minimum 5 feet from
pool sides
21) RGE wants grounding near meter sockets
a. Exemptions for temp service, load center poles
b. Image #1 proper installation shows bonding to side of box
c. Image #2 Hoffman makes an easy access box, RGE
recommends use in high pressure connections
22) Images #3 & #4 CT Cabinet – passes inspection with all green grounding wires pulled out to transformers
a. RGE DOES NOT APPROVE
b. RGE only wants in a box – 2 hot wires, 1 neutral and 1 ground
wire
23) Multi-Meter Locations – Image #5 RGE will begin enforcing multi-meter policy that all boxes must be labeled
a. Label above breaker
b. Labeled inside meter socket
c. DO NOT use marker, weather resistant labels only – durable to
withstand environment
d. Will turn down jobs if not properly done (110.21)
e. NEW POLICY!
24) Multi-Meter Locations – RGE wants you to request meeting before work begins
a. Image #6 ARC Fault = 100,000 amp breaker, RGE must be able
to identify breaker
b. If not accessible, paperwork must be submitted to RGE
25) Image #7 – 480/277 V – there will be no more removing meter with shut-off
a. RGE is moving to meter stacks
b. Meter stacks is new standard with all new service applications
Q&A
-Request for a better off hours emergency #.
-Call Tony Proctor for 3 phrase commercial service.
-If you change panel, meter socket or riser, the entire service must be updated to today’s standards and requirements as per NEC and RGE. Do it all at once.
-RGE jursistdiction stops where? It depends on what RGE decides, and changes per scenario.
-RGE can raise questions and go beyond code at any time.
-When RGE Requirements book changes, they promise to make electricians/inspectors aware.
-This is a code change year, 2017 code will be adopted in October.
-110.24 Field Marking – Electricians responsibility!