Electrical Meter – Understanding Electrical Meter Ampacity Rating

electricalmeter

A given meter shows it is rated "120V 15(100)A".

Why are there two amp ratings one being in parentheses? Is this meter rated 15 or 100A or both?
When do the 15A apply, and when do the 100A?

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Best Answer

This would most likely be a 100A meter

The only time you ever see a 15A electric meter in North America is when it is a transformer rated meter used with instrument transformers to measure large electrical services (such as those found on large commercial, institutional, and industrial buildings). However, this meter is a Form 1S meter, which means that it is a self-contained meter that requires no transformers to work. (It also means that it is a 120, single phase, two wire meter, but that is neither here nor there.) Therefore, this meter has to be a Class 100 (100A continuous, 125A peak) meter by deduction.