Experience with Second Electrical Meter in Northern NJ?

[UngaBunga1989]

Hi there! I live in NE NJ and my electricity supplier is PSE&G. Unfortunately the underground conduit from my house to my detached garage only allows a maximum service of 40 amps. The good news, however, is that my garage is located literally 6 feet from the utility pole on which the power is brought in to my home (via an underground cable).

So, my thinking was to bring a new 100 or 200 amp service to the garage directly from the utility pole with a second meter. Both my wife and I drive electric cars (I drive a Tesla M3P+ and she drives a 2016 Volt). Although we don't need all of this power at the moment, it would enable me to charge a lot faster and would future-proof our Electric Car charging ability. Right now I charge on a 220V, 30 amp circuit (drawing 24 amps) and she charges on a 110V, 15 amp circuit (drawing 12 amps).

My electrician said that he has done this for a couple of people but that PSE&G ended up charging them the Commercial Rate for electricity for their garage meter rather than the Residential rate.

Any real world experience or advice would be hugely appreciated!

 

[WATTS-UP]

The first question I have is, Is the 40amp line in a metal conduit? If so see if you electrician can pull a new 100 amp line from the house to the garage. If all that is true just ask PSE&G to up grade the residential service to 300 AMP's.

 

[UngaBunga1989]

The first question I have is, Is the 40amp line in a metal conduit? If so see if you electrician can pull a new 100 amp line from the house to the garage. If all that is true just ask PSE&G to up grade the residential service to 300 AMP's.

Thanks for your reply! We already tried that...it is only a 1" PVC conduit and there is an issue somewhere along its length (underground) that only allowed for the 40-amp service (due to wire size). That is why I am asking about a second meter...

 

[Shaman514]

I have same issue with second meter... PSEG refuses to give me Residential Rate. It's outrageous... What did you end up doing ?

 

[WATTS-UP]

This may not be the smartest of questions to ask PSE&G, but, would they give you a second meter if you installed a solar
PV system? Next statement to PSE&G would be to tell them that I want to upgrade my residential service to 300 or 400 amps.
The reason is that you want to go all electric lighting, air conditioning, heating and your interested in adding a hot tub and electric Sauna. ` See what they say.

The reason why the electric company may not want to give you more residential power is because the residential transformer close to your house does not have excess capacity.

 

[electracity]

If you are planning staying in your house trenching a 100 amp line from the house may be the most cost effective.

But it sounds to me that you are doing fine with 40 amps, so I'm not sure of the issue. Future EVs are unlikely to use more watts per mile.

It's unlikely you need 300 amp service for a 100 amp sub panel in the garage. I didn't.

 

[SSedan]

What about putting a new 200amp service on the garage and trenching in a new line from garage to house giving up the old 40amp problem?
Yeah you are trenching but it might be easier than talking the utility into trenching a larger service.

 

[electracity]

What about putting a new 200amp service on the garage and trenching in a new line from garage to house giving up the old 40amp problem?
Yeah you are trenching but it might be easier than talking the utility into trenching a larger service.

That would cost a lot more. I just went through this processes replacing a detached garage and looking into new underground service to replace overhead.

 

[SSedan]

Depends what is in the way, if grass then not so bad, if a hard surface then things get expensive.

What I didn't articulate well is I wonder if an electrician running a trench to the house may be a lot cheaper than the utility trenching in underground service to the house.