State lawmakers are being asked to set statewide precedents for Rhode Island’s largest gas provider and its local customers, authorizing National Grid to move gas meters to the outside of residences only if a homeowner approves.
Legislation in the General Assembly is the result of a battle between National Grid, Providence’s West Broadway Neighborhood Association and some West Side residents, who said the energy provider had installed large gas meters to the exteriors of their historic homes without their consent. The West Side homeowners want to keep their meters in their basements or at least have them in an inconspicuous outdoor spot.
The House bill would require public utilities carriers to consult with owners before moving meters. It would also prohibit them from “installing gas regulators and/or gas meters on the visible front of any residential property or visible sides of the property that face a public right of way, unless it is determined that there exists no prudent and feasible alternative to such location.”
The bill is sponsored by Rep. Steven M. Costantino, Democratic chairman of the House Finance Committee. Sen. Paul V. Jabour, a Providence Democrat, plans to introduce a companion bill. Both Costantino and Jabour are residents of the West Side neighborhood where some residents have complained about the meters.
In a statement, Costantino said National Grid has been able to work with basement meters “for decades.” He added, “We care about our historic architecture in Rhode Island and even homeowners are limited in what they can do to the exterior of historic homes. The gas company shouldn’t be able to compromise the value and look of a building just for the sake of its own convenience.”
National Grid last year sat down with the neighborhood association and state and city representatives to discuss the issue but the two sides could not reach agreement.
“National Grid spent a lot of time … working with the neighborhood group,” Jabour said, “but in the end they just didn’t seem to want to memorialize this into a real plan.”
Jabour added that this legislation is a “last resort” and will ensure that the same policy will be in place for all Rhode Islanders.
Last week, National Grid spokesman David Graves said the company was aware of the bill, but was not yet ready to comment.
“We’re studying the bill,” he said.
Graves said there haven’t been any official meetings with the neighborhood groups since last fall and “any number of things might happen in the future.”
National Grid is mandated to inspect the estimated 245,000 gas meters it has in Rhode Island at least once every three years. The legislation would authorize National Grid to move gas meters to the exterior of a house if the owner doesn’t grant “reasonable access” at least once every three years. It would also authorize homeowners to paint exterior gas meters “in order to blend with the color of the property” and put landscaping in front of a meter.
In the West Side neighborhood where the issue started, National Grid has been installing a new high-pressure system. In October, Graves told Providence Business News that a problem with an interior meter would lead to a house being filled “very quickly” with gas. “So in the interest of public safety, we would want the meters outside.”
The legislation also would require homeowners with interior gas meters to sign a consent form. •
