Is Your Meter Pulling Away From Your House?

If you’ve ever walked outside, glanced at the side of your home, and noticed your electric meter leaning or pulling away, it’s easy to brush it off. Most homeowners do. Life is busy, and the meter doesn’t exactly send a polite little text saying, “Hey, I’m about to cause trouble.”
But here’s the honest truth. A meter that’s pulling away is not normal, not safe, and definitely not one of those “eh, I’ll get to it eventually” items. It’s one of those problems that hides behind a calm face but is quietly planning chaos. And we’re not here for chaos.

At Integra Electrical, we see this all the time. Good, smart homeowners who care about their homes, but no one ever told them what a leaning meter actually means. The industry has a bad habit of downplaying things or tossing homeowners vague phrases like “keep an eye on it.” Translation: ignore it until it becomes expensive. We don’t play that game. You deserve clarity, not cryptic electrician riddles.

Before the end of this article, you will know:

• Why a leaning meter matters
• What causes a meter to pull away
• What an electrician does to fix it safely

Why a Leaning Meter Matters

A meter pulling away from your house is one of those problems that looks harmless until you understand it. It is like seeing your kid holding a baseball in the living room. At first you think, “Hmm.” Then you think, “Where is the window?” A leaning meter works the same way. The closer you look, the bigger the concern.

Your electric meter is not just a box on the siding. It is the main connection point between utility power and your home. When it starts pulling away, the wiring inside gets stretched or stressed, and electricity does not handle stress well. That is when issues like overheating, arcing, and bad grounding show up.

Even a small gap can let the service wires shift or loosen. Wind, storms, or normal house movement can push those wires around, and loose wires are not something to gamble with. That is how sparks end up where they should not.

Most homeowners also do not realize the meter is attached to hardware meant to keep tension off the wiring. When that hardware pulls out, all the strain goes straight to the electrical system, and that is a setup for a much bigger problem.

And just so it is clear, most utilities will not fix this. If it is pulling away from your house, they will send you to an electrician. 

The bottom line is that a leaning meter is not cosmetic. It is a safety issue that needs attention before it becomes something worse.

What Causes a Meter to Pull Away From Your House

A meter does not pull away overnight. It usually happens slowly until one day you notice it leaning and think, “That was not like that before.”

Here are the most common reasons.

• Shifting soil - Iowa soil expands and shrinks with the weather. That movement can push or pull on the base of the meter and slowly pull it away from the house.
  
  
• Loose or aging hardware - The screws and brackets holding the meter in place weaken over time. Rust, temperature changes, and storms can loosen them, causing the meter to tilt.
  
  
• Water damage - If water gets behind the siding, it can soften the wood the meter is attached to. Once the backing weakens, the meter loses support and starts to separate.
  
  
• Storm or impact damage - Strong winds, fallen branches, or even someone bumping the meter can knock it out of alignment. Over time, that small shift turns into a noticeable gap.
  
  
• Normal settling - Older homes move and settle. When the house shifts and the meter does not, the separation becomes visible.

No matter the cause, the result is the same. The wiring inside the meter becomes stressed and unsafe, and the issue needs to be fixed before it gets worse.

What an Electrician Does to Fix It Safely

Think of a leaning meter like a loose tooth. It might only wiggle a little, but everything around it is under strain. An electrician’s job is to make the whole area safe and supported again.

The process starts with the utility shutting the power off. Once everything is safe, the electrician opens the meter and checks the wiring. If the wires have been stretched or damaged, they get repaired right away.

Next, the electrician inspects the surface behind the meter. If the wood or siding has softened or pulled away, it gets rebuilt with new material so the meter has a solid place to sit. If the meter base itself is cracked or too old, it is replaced instead of reused.

After the mounting surface and wiring are secured, the meter is reattached firmly and the utility turns the power back on. A final check makes sure nothing is loose or stressed.

For an electrician, this is a straightforward fix. For a homeowner, it is one of the most dangerous parts of the electrical system to touch, which is why calling a professional is the safest choice.

Next Steps

If your meter is leaning, separating, or just looking “off,” the safest next step is to have it checked by a licensed electrician as soon as possible. This is not something to wait on or monitor, because the damage happens behind the scenes long before you can see it.

Take a quick photo of the meter so you can reference how far it has pulled away, then reach out to a trusted electrical company. A simple inspection can tell you exactly what is going on and what it will take to fix it safely.

You deserve clarity and peace of mind, not guesswork. Getting it looked at now prevents the problem from turning into something bigger later on.

FAQs

How do I know if my meter pulling away is dangerous?

If you can see a gap, crooked hardware, or any part of the meter shifting away from the siding, it is already unsafe. The danger is inside the meter where the wiring is stressed, not just in how it looks from the outside.

Can I push the meter back into place myself?

No. A meter may look simple, but it is directly connected to live power from the utility. Trying to move it, tighten screws, or adjust it yourself is extremely dangerous.

Will the power company fix a meter that is pulling away?

Usually not. If the issue involves the part attached to your home, the utility will require a licensed electrician to handle the repair before they reconnect or adjust anything.

Is this something that can wait a few months?

It should not. Once the meter starts pulling away, the wiring inside is already under strain. The longer it stays that way, the higher the risk of overheating or arcing.