the electric company came by and said they were replacing my old / current (circa 1945) 60 amp service line from the pole to the house. I am responsible for the connecting lead down to the the meter can (which I am told I have to replace). they also recommend upgrading my service panel from a 60 amp to atleast a 100 amp. (and I agree with that assessment due to the old panel is screw in fuse....so any appliance upgrade (A/C) would need it)
My question is do I need to replace the service panel right now or can I still use the old one until money comes available to change it? Electric company says no....must replace NOW....I didn't ask for them to even replace the main service line.
"Semper Fi"

I don't know about any rules that say that you have to replace it now but it certainly will be better. Cheaper to do it in conjunction with the service changeout than to try to hookup the old panel to the new service.

It could very well be that they cannot hook up the new service to such an old and undersized panel.

Also, this is not a DIY project, call in an electrician.

the power company essentially condemned your entrance and panel. it is no longer code-current in any area, and although it may be grandfathered in national language, they are going to leave you cold and dark if you don't call an electrician and upgrade this.

likely they are cutting your area to "smart meters", part of the "smart grid" in which there are embedded 6-letter default passwords all over the place, and the "smart grid" is administered by SCADA systems that have all security blown to start with.

the other possibility is your drop from the pole is dangerous and/or won't reach the new pole and hardware that they are upgrading to.

but the utility gets to call the shots. you get to call the electrician and blow a grand or two.
// edit // and because the service is being upgraded, your head, mast, and meter box are all too small for the larger wire and different meter base. it's just one of those things, alas, that comes out of the woods to bite you periodically when you own a home.

I'd not stop at 100 amps, I'd upgrade to 150 or 200, that's going to be minimum code one of these days real soon if it isn't already in your area.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: swschrad,

Next to impossible to purchase homeowners insurance when the abode is powered with a 60 amp [jokingly called 4 mains and Range] in these parts....

THANKS for all the input. Just as I suspected. So guess I need to start saving. SWSCHRAD thanks for the recommend to a higher amp.

"Semper Fi"

I guess every area is different.. Where I live it's the electric company that is responsible all the way to the meter including meter. It's the customers responsibility from the meter to the inside.

it is customary in this neck of the woods for the homeowner to pay for everything from the weatherhead on down. meters, of course, are always on loan from the power company.

if a storm busts off the service mast, the power company doesn't hook back up until you have repaired it at your own cost, and there is a new inspection sticker on the meter box. it's yours, pard.

if you are served by a REC coop, then you also buy the poles and wires down to the road where your service branch is connected to the distribution line.

I have heard that you pay for the initial drop wires from the pole (or buried from the transformer enclosure) as well, but since I've never built new, never seen that bill. the folks in Fargo didn't get billed for the new drop wires when they went to a heat pump, and had to upgrade from 60 amp to 200 amp service. but they sure paid for everything else. when the transformer went fzzzzt because they didn't upgrade it, it was NSP's fault, and there was no bill for that as basic infrastructure.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: swschrad,