Customer owned meter

[Crash117]

Ran across this for the first time in 30 years today. Customer is wanting to upgrade service and called me out for an estimate. They told me they got a head start and had another electrician provide power to an out building. This power is taken overhead from the meter main location via a utility style cable with 2 insulated conductors and a bare neutral and no ground. This power is fed from a 2 pole breaker in the meter main. Then at the out building, it attaches to a riser mast and into another meter main style panel at this building. They own this meter not the utility. They are doing this to monitor power usage in this building. Here’s my main question/concern. This meter main panel ungrounded and the neutral is bonded via the construction of the panel. No isolation of the neutral from the body of the panel. They told me it passed city inspection but I’m skeptical and don’t want get into part of something that’s not legit. Any advice is welcome.
TIA

 

[Crash117]

Photos for above installation

 

[augie47]

If the power tot the outbuilding is a new installation an equipment grounding conductor is required

 

[Crash117]

From my understanding it was done late last year because their old underground feed, which crosses a large concrete area, is no longer viable. I think they are trying to pull a fast one by saying it’s already done and approved just want it relocated to new service area which I’m not willing to do if they try to keep it the way it is. I may just tell them it’s better if we part ways now before any work or time is invested.

 

[Crash117]

In most cases, I find it’s very difficult to impress the importance of separating neutral and ground at a sub panel to customers. They come back with it works fine just leave it as is.

 

[augie47]

A bit of a Code oddity is that if you came straight off the POCO meter to the outbuilding (no overcurrent) you would not need the EGC per an exception in 230.40

 

[Crash117]

I’m afraid that’s not the case here. The feed for the out building is from a 60 amp 2 pole breaker in the utility fed meter main. It’s not “tapped” off of the utility feed

 

[tom baker]

The permit may be a public record. In my area the AHJ puts a small label on the panel with the permit number, and details are available on line
Sounds like a quick repair for an outage

 

[jaggedben]

I’m afraid that’s not the case here. The feed for the out building is from a 60 amp 2 pole breaker in the utility fed meter main. It’s not “tapped” off of the utility feed

I wonder what would be the cheaper fix to make it compliant. Replacing the existing feed? Or replacing the existing service meter/main with a separate meter socket and panel you could tap in between?