I have a question for ya?

[noway]

What rights do "meter readers" have? Are they protected against pissed off home owners? What rights do they have to defend themselves against dogs, cats, or any home owner pets? Can you tell them to never come on your property again? Do they have the right to threaten a homeowner with a weapon?

In their training to be meter readers shouldn't they learn how to deal with the duties of their job? Knowing whats going to happen when they enter a persons property?

[Guru]

From what I gather about meter readers is that all animals in any community have to be controlled by their owners. If any person walking down a street is attacked by a dog then they are within their rights to protect themselves and I was told that meter readers have those same rights, understandable.
The downside is if you have access issues with a reader you can deny them access to your property but you may also have that particular utility terminated unless you can work out something with the parent company which as history has shown us never happens.
Give them safe access or loose the electricity or water, etc.
They do have to announce their presence upon entering your property. I woke up in a fog one morning from being awake for nearly 24 hours with work to find two guys carrying on on my back porch (I live way out in the woods) and the gun barrel went out the back door first. They were in the middle of nowhere carrying on without a care in the world.

[daisy]

What rights do "meter readers" have? Are they protected against pissed off home owners? What rights do they have to defend themselves against dogs, cats, or any home owner pets? Can you tell them to never come on your property again? Do they have the right to threaten a homeowner with a weapon?

In their training to be meter readers shouldn't they learn how to deal with the duties of their job? Knowing whats going to happen when they enter a persons property?


I would call someone at the place you have the complaint with and see what you can work out.

One is retired from a power company and the others I can ask Monday.

I don't think they should threaten you unless they were defending themselves.

My mother had a friendly dog that didn't like the meter reader. I will find out what they did.

Put it on here and I can ask a couple or 3 people that would know. Or pm me.

[Guru]

The things that I mentioned came from 3 separate but similar events not from the same area.
All from the Pine Belt.

[Booshay]

What rights do "meter readers" have? Are they protected against pissed off home owners? What rights do they have to defend themselves against dogs, cats, or any home owner pets? Can you tell them to never come on your property again? Do they have the right to threaten a homeowner with a weapon?

In their training to be meter readers shouldn't they learn how to deal with the duties of their job? Knowing whats going to happen when they enter a persons property?Well, meter readers are supposed to be able to have access to the meter...if they dont or cant for whatever reason, they cant always read the meter. Of course, its not right to fight or argue with a customer. Now if someone were to actually come up and swing on me, Im gonna defend myself as best as I can...this probably involves a nice heavy wrench or a shovel. Same thing goes for a dog...but pepper spray would give me an extra 5 or 6 ft worth of comfort zone.

[Imapepper]

If a meter reader does not have access to your meter, he will estimate the usage...and we already know how that turned out in the 'burg!:(

[Booshay]

I know where I work now, the meter was inside the backyard right up next a tall wooden fence. Needless to say, it unable to be read. We asked the owner to cut a small hole in the fence just big enough to read the meter dial....after 4 months, he still hadnt done it, we couldnt read it, we pulled the meter and locked it until the hole was cut. After a few days and a cold winter night with no heat, the hole mysteriously appeared really really soon. We set the meter back, and havent had a problem since.

[mac]

I'm sure customers are required to give them access to the meter. I have never seen anyone read my power meter, and have only seen someone read my water meter one time.