I saw a flier at the local market.

100 amp service $595.00.
Includes--
New Service entrance cable.
New meter socket.

Note:
Service Panel & breakers additional.


Forgetting about the price, does anyone here consider replacing the SE cable & meter socket a service upgrade?

Nope, not here.

Bill

A 'foot-in-the-door' tactic

I wouldn't call it an upgrade, unless the existing service entrance was rated under 100A.

Are they going to charge an arm and a leg for the main panel and breakers?

Paul,

They would have to take the remaining arm & leg. They took the first two in charging $595.00 for the "Upgrade".

Although we don't use the same service setups as you guys, you can buy a quality 100A "All in one" for $50.
This is enclosure, meter socket, and main CB. All you need is the mast,weatherhead, service conductors, ground, and branch CBs to perform a REAL service change.
Even at list price + 100%, these guys are hosing the public!!

Electure,

That price is amazing! Goes to show how different things can be. We have nothing like that around here, (We couldn't use it if we did) All our Meter pans must be rated OH/UG 200A with a lever bypass and alone cost around $100. A metermain (Meter enclosure w/main breaker only - no place for Branch Breakers) more than double that. To my knowledge there is no all-in-one unit that's approved around here.

Realistically, We can't really talk about prices here unless more particulars were known about the area. If they have to pay for a PoCo disconnect/reconnect or other 'sundries' (Inspection fees, Building Permits, Ground Rod, GRC etc.) it is not going to be 'Apples to Apples'


Bill

[This message has been edited by Bill Addiss (edited 12-03-2001).]

In the region in question SE cable is O.K. 25-35' @ about $.75/ ft.= $26.25
PoCo approved 100 amp OH socket= $20.00
Weather head, straps, taps WP cnctr.= $25.00

Total material $ 75-85.00
Labor 3-4 hrs? $125.00+ per hr.
Not too bad eh?

This reminds me of our hospital when we had our second daughter 5 years ago. When we had our first daughter they had a labor room where my wife stayed until the baby started actually coming out. Then we went to the delivery room where she was actually born. Then my wife went to the recovery room and our baby went to the nursery until they were re-united back in the hospital room. Wife and baby were discharged 36 hours after being admitted. Hospital cost:$3950.00.
4 years later we had my second daughter. The hospital had changed the way they did things. My wife was admitted into one room where everything was done. There was only one bed and it converted with the throw of a lever for delivery and the baby stayed right in the room the whole time. Wife and baby were discharged 24 hours after being admitted. Hospital cost:$6500.00. Here's how the bill read:
Delivery room: $850.00
Labor room : $850.00
Recovery room: $550.00
Private room : $750.00
Nursery : $675.00
Sterile clean up of delivery room : $350.00
Sterile clean up of labor room : $350.00
Sterile clean up of recovery room : $350.00
Sterile clean up of private room : $350.00
Sterile clean up of nursery : $350.00
Misc. supplies : $1075.00
It was all the same room! My daughter stayed in the room with my wife the whole time in a plexiglass sided crib next to her bed! As far as I know they only cleaned up the room once after we left!
I called the hospital billing dept. and asked how they could charge us for all those rooms when we were only in one room for 24 hours. They said that as each stage of the birth progressed, the room took on a different function. Hence the different charges.
Wouldn't it be nice if when installing a 200A service you could bill like this:
Loadcenter : $300.00
Breaker box : $300.00
Over current devices : $400.00
Circuit breakers : $400.00
Loadcenter installation : $350.00
Breaker box installation : $350.00
OC device installation : $400.00
CB installation : $400.00
Clean up : $500.00
Misc. supplies : $1050.00
Total $4450.00
And it didn't take me 24 hours!

Holy Accountants Batman! That almost makes our ailing National Health Service seem attractive!

Seriously now: What sort of price are you looking at for say a 100A residential panel with a dozen or so breakers? I have the complete QO Load Center range in the Graybar catalog, but no prices.

Paul,
Depending on where you buy them--

Panel $50.00
Breakers $5.00 ea.

The local home center store had Siemens ITE 100A MB 20ct valuepaks for $69.99. They included 5 single pole 20s and 1 2 pole 30 and were copper buss. They had 200A 30-40ct with 10 1 pole 20s and 1 2 pole 30 and 1 2 pole 50 for $169.99. My local supply house(a Siemens dealer) was furious. They claimed those prices were below their costs.

Thanks. A typical 8-way residential panel with 100A main switch usually runs about £20 to £40 here depending upon make (about $30 to $60). That's for the "all-insulated" variety most commonly used in homes; metal versions are a little more. Versions fitted with a main GFI are generally up in the £60 to £80 range.

Breakers are about £4 to £8 ($6 to $12). depending on brand.