Burned Meter Gets a Full Upgrade With Meter Panel Combo

When a meter burns up, the easy answer is to just swap it out and slap on a disconnect to meet code. That works - but it's not always the smartest move. On this job, we took a step back and looked at the bigger picture.

The original meter was fried and needed to go. To bring everything up to code the straightforward way, we would have added a 200A outdoor disconnect. Simple enough. But we saw an opportunity to do something better - so we upgraded the whole setup to a meter panel combo instead. One unit. Meter and panel together. No separate disconnect needed, fully code compliant, and a lot more room to work with down the road.

That extra capacity matters more than people realize. Whether it's an EV charger, a generator hookup, a new HVAC system, or any other load you might add later - having that room already built in means you're not looking at another upgrade in a few years. We'd rather set homeowners up right the first time.

On top of the meter panel combo, we installed our full panel surge protection system. That's the branded WattStar unit you can see mounted right next to the panel. The green indicator light tells you it's active and doing its job. It protects every circuit in the house from power surges - the kind that quietly destroy electronics, appliances, and HVAC equipment over time. It's a small add-on that carries a lot of weight.

What started as a burned meter call turned into a genuinely better electrical setup than what was there before. That's the kind of outcome we're always shooting for - not just a fix, but an upgrade that actually serves the homeowner long-term.