I'm in the initial planning/research stages for installing a Level 2 wall connector. I just had one contractor refuse to quote me anything unless I agreed to installing a 2nd meter. Is this standard practice for 60AMP service? This is the first I have heard of installing a second meter for car charging. I went out to the electric companies website and found a number of contractors with fixed install prices and all of them quoted a meter install. Is this just the electric company trying to keep track of EV charging?? Thanks ahead of time for your responses. They are appreciated.
I don't know why a second meter would be necessary, they just count the kWh usage. But your electric company may "prefer" a second meter for tracking. My electric company has a special off-peak EV charging option which I took advantage of, which does require a second, dedicated meter for EV circuits only. But installation of a second meter wasn't too bad, the electricians mounted it to the outside of the house and trenched a line to the garage where I had a circuit panel installed. Electric company provided the head and activated the meter in a single day.
Jayw makes it sound like it's only necessary for a 60 amp circuit. If so, then it doesn't make a lot of sense since a 50 amp circuit would seem more common. However if it's for all EVSE installs, then I can see it. Anyhow, do you have one service charge each month or two, since you have two meters?
I get two different bills each month, one for each meter. I haven't looked into combining them, although maybe I could. One meter/billing account is called by my electrical provider "<House Address>" at about 12¢ per kWh, and the other is "<House Address> EV" at 14¢/4¢ peak/off-peak per kWh. My provider clearly makes the the second meter worthwhile.
Weird. I sub-metered my HVAC when it got upgraded so I could track energy usage, but my GoPlug EVSE measures AC current and keeps what appears to be a lifetime count of kWh delivered, so it doesn't really need another meter inserted. _H*
