Senate OKs bill banning gas meters on facades

PROVIDENCE – The Rhode Island Senate unanimously approved a bill preventing utility companies from installing “unsightly” gas meters on the facades of homes.
The bill was spurred by protests in Providence’s Broadway and Armory neighborhoods, where National Grid began installing a high-pressure gas line and started moving about 250 homes’ gas meters from basements and interiors to exteriors to ease meter reading and shutoffs.
Residents of the area – which is designated a historic district – objected to the utility’s plans for mostly aesthetic reasons. Many homeowners complained that visible exterior meters detracted from the historic integrity of their homes.
Under the proposed legislation, utility companies would be banned from moving meters to the front of homes – or any side visible from a public right-of-way – unless there is no other location available. It would also require utility companies to consult with homeowners about their preference for the location of meters, and give preference to less prominent places.
The full House must still approve the measure. &#8226