Every day Peoples Gas' team members work to deliver on our commitment to provide our customers with safe, affordable and reliable service. Upon occasion, this may require access to natural gas meters.

About 99 percent of our customers have automated meters. This enables us to securely record meter readings through radio waves from inside vehicles that regularly pass by on the street. However, Peoples Gas occasionally still needs physical access to customer meters to handle things like off-cycle meter reads, testing natural gas equipment and performing maintenance, if required.

Blocked meters limit our effectiveness, and can also pose dangers to customers and our technicians.

The tariff which the Florida Public Service Commission has approved makes these points about meters and accessibility:

• Customers must properly protect company property.
• Customers must allow company employees access to the property to operate, inspect and maintain facilities.

There are a variety of barriers Peoples Gas team members may encounter at meters. Shrubbery, especially in the summer, is a big one. Wasp nests are another threat, as are dogs.

Customers can help ensure Peoples Gas team members have access to your meter by:

• Trimming the vegetation around your meter on a regular basis.
• Having pest control experts remove wasp nests around meters.
• Contacting us online or at the phone number for your area to arrange a time when the TECO meter reader can get the reading safely without worrying about your dog.
• Reviewing the diagram in the Your Natural Gas Service section of this website (click on the Customer-Owned Piping link) for where customer responsibilities around the natural gas meter end and Peoples Gas responsibilities begin.

We appreciate your help and cooperation in helping us provide safe, affordable and reliable service.