§ 143-151.42. Prohibition of master meters for electric and natural gas service.
Article 9E.
Master Electrical andNatural Gas Meters Prohibited.
§ 143‑151.42. Prohibition of master meters for electric and natural gas service.
From and after September 1,1977, in order that each occupant of an apartment or other individual dwellingunit may be responsible for his own conservation of electricity and gas, itshall be unlawful for any new residential building, as hereinafter defined, tobe served by a master meter for electric service or natural gas service. Eachindividual dwelling unit shall have individual electric service with a separateelectric meter and, if it has natural gas, individual natural gas service witha separate natural gas meter, which service and meters shall be in the name ofthe tenant or other occupant of said apartment or other dwelling unit. Noelectric supplier or natural gas supplier, whether regulated public utility ormunicipal corporation or electric membership corporation supplying said utilityservice, shall connect any residential building for electric service or naturalgas service through a master meter, and said electric or natural gas suppliershall serve each said apartment or dwelling unit by separate service andseparate meter and shall bill and charge each individual occupant of saidseparate apartment or dwelling unit for said electric or natural gas service. Anew residential building is hereby defined for the purposes of this section asany building for which a building permit is issued on or after September 1,1977, which includes two or more apartments or other family dwelling units.Provided, however, that any owner or builder of a multi‑unit residentialbuilding who desires to provide central heat or air conditioning or central hotwater from a central furnace, air conditioner or hot water heater whichincorporates solar assistance or other designs which accomplish greater energyconservation than separate heat, hot water, or air conditioning for eachdwelling unit, may apply to the North Carolina Utilities Commission forapproval of said central heat, air conditioning or hot water system, which mayinclude a central meter for electricity or gas used in said central system, andthe Utilities Commission shall promptly consider said application and approveit for such central meters if energy is conserved by said design. This sectionshall apply to any dwelling unit normally rented or leased for a minimum periodof one month or longer, including apartments, condominiums and townhouses, butshall not apply to hotels, motels, hotels or motels that have been convertedinto condominiums, dormitories, rooming houses or nursing homes, or homes forthe elderly. (1977,c. 792, s. 9; 2007‑98, s. 1.)