Quote:
Originally Posted by Bobcuse
This morning I received a text message followed by an email which said Seco would be inspecting transformers & meters in my area for obstructions. It said to remove plants, shrubs and fences from areas near equipment and if crews are unable to access equipment my service may be disconnected.
Fortunately I do not have one of those large electrical boxes on my property which require 10' clearance on all sides. However, I live in a villa and my meter is on the outside garage wall which faces my neighbor's driveway. Along that wall in front of the meter is a 5' high x 3' wide hedge but the meter is just above the top of the hedge and clearly visible. The problem could be accessing the meter if work is needed and the SECO clearance instructions say that the meter requires 3' clearance on both sides and in front of the meter which essentially means the hedge must come out. So if my neighbor's hedge doesn't come out my service could be disconnected.
My frustration is that when these villas were constructed in 2003 every villa had a hedge planted along the garage wall obviously for aesthetic purposes. I assume the codes and clearance requirements were known by the contractors and inspectors, although those hedges were likely 1 gallon plants at the time and nobody noticed. I hope SECO would at least notify the residents if these hedges are actually an obstruction before we all proceed to begin tearing them out and/or before they pull the plug. Below is a link to the requirements provided by SECO. I plan to call SECO to clarify but everyone likely may have the same question.
Keep It Clear – SECO Energy |
It appears that SECO is methodically and systematically sending these notices to each neighborhood and area.
I have heard all kinds of reactions from ignoring them to digging up and replanting after the "inspection".
We dug up our lovely bushes and now the view from our nice glassed in lanai gives us excellent view of the big ugly utility box.'
Others have said we are sissies.
We have always done what the rule said to do.
It is so ugly. SO ugly and the bushes masked it so well. It took my dear husband the better part of the day to get the three bushes out.
We are also the kind of folks that if a police officer said stop we would stop and I will not say any more and get in trouble.