Out here in SoCA, our resi meters have a "super ring" with a keyed locking device. (No pic, my camera blew up). You call SCE or LADWP, etc., and they send someone out to unlock it for you. Response time is usually only an hour or 2, unless an emergency, in which case they're right there.
To bypass this, you'd have to drill out the lock, and then you'd be subject to tampering law (Hardly worth it)
