A S-base meter is plugged into a meter base which has been prewired to match the lugs of the meter to be installed. The meter is usually installed with the top incoming lugs ______.

• A. Installed
• B. De-energized
• C. Energized
• D. Not installed

Answer: (C)

Understanding how a meter base is wired helps explain why the top incoming lugs are normally energized. In a typical service, the utility feed enters the meter base on the line side at the top and leaves through the bottom toward the building as the load. The meter is designed so the line side is at the top, meaning those top lugs carry live voltage from the utility.

When the meter is installed into a base that's prewired to match the meter, placing the meter with the top lugs connected to the live supply ensures the current flows through the meter in the intended direction and that the meter’s internal components and protections operate correctly. This orientation also aligns with standard safety practices and the way the lugs and wiring are engineered to be used.

If the top lugs were not energized, or if the meter were installed in a way that left the top side dead, there would be no proper line-to-load path and the service would not reflect the actual electrical condition, which is unsafe and inconsistent with how the base and meter are designed to work. The concept hinges on line side being the energized side and load side being downstream toward the building, so energizing the top lugs is the correct, standard arrangement.