Homeowner's meter broken by Xcel contractor repaired
It took over a week, but Sue Sanders finally got Xcel Energy to send a contractor to repair a part broken by a contractor attempting to replace a smart meter. Sanders was initially informed by an Xcel supervisor that she would have to pay to make the potentially costly repair, possibly in the thousands of dollars, right away or risk her power being shut off in 15 days.
"I was just calling everywhere, and no one would call me back. No one would talk to me, and it was going to be my responsibility," said Sanders.
It started early last week when a contractor showed up to replace the smart meter on the side of her home. There was a problem as he made the switch and a small explosion that effectively melted a part in her meter box. But Sanders' meter box is built into her main power box, an arrangement called an all-in-one box. She was left with a note indicating she would have to make the repair.
"When they first broke it, if they would have just said, 'Hey, we broke it, it's our fault," she explained. "They didn't. They basically threw that thing at me and said, 'You have fifteen days to get this done and it's on you.'"
Her calls, she said, were largely ignored. "There was no way I could have gotten this done in fifteen days." That likely would have meant paying for a new box, since the broken part that helps secure a high voltage wire in the meter box is hard to find. But the cost for that part is under $10.
"There was no way I could have gotten this done in fifteen days," Sanders said. She shared her story with CBS Colorado. Last week, CBS News Colorado reported on her troubles. Xcel told us the repairs would be taken care of. Saturday, Xcel sent word it would not be shutting off her power. The contractor did not return to the home last week however. Monday, Sanders got a call from another Xcel contractor who came out and fixed the broken meter mount Tuesday without replacing the entire box. Sanders will face no charges for the repair.
All in all, it was a lesson. "When somebody tells you something just don't take it at face value," Sanders said. "The more I researched and the more I talked to the electricians the more I realized this is just so, so, wrong."