What a service point is and where it’s located only becomes an issue after a storm has damaged the electrical service to your house. Everything before the service point is the responsiblity of the local utility to repair, and what's after it is yours. The National Electrical Code (NEC) defines the service point as “the point of connection between the facilities of the serving utility and the premises wiring."

    The service point for overhead electric service is the splice or tap connection of the service wires near the service mast above the meter. It is easy to spot and an example is shown above. When the service is underground the service point is where the underground service lateral wires connect to the meter. 

    For an overview of the clearance requirements between utility pole and house, see our blog post What is the minimum overhead electric service drop height/clearance to a house?   

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Here’s links to a collection of our other blog posts about ELECTRIC PANELS:

• What causes copper wires to turn green or black in an electric panel?  

• What is the maximum number of circuit breakers allowed in an electric panel?

• When should a corroded or damaged electric panel cabinet or disconnect box be replaced? 

• What is a tandem circuit breaker? 

• When did arc fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) breakers first become required?

• Can an electric panel be located in a closet? 

• Can an electric panel be located in a bathroom? 

• Can you add circuit breakers by different manufacturers to an electric panel if they fit?

• My circuit breaker won't reset. What's wrong?  

• What is a split bus electric panel?

• How do I identify a combination AFCI (CAFCI) circuit breaker? 

• What does a circuit breaker with a yellow or white test button indicate? 

• What is the maximum gap allowed between the front of a recessed electric panel box and the wall surface surrounding it? 

• What are the requirements for NM-cables entering an electric panel box?

• Why is a fuse box/panel an insurance problem for homebuyers? 

• Why is bundled wiring in an electric panel a defect?

• What is the difference between GFCI and AFCI circuit breakers? 

• Why are old electrical components not always "grandfathered" as acceptable by home inspectors?

   Visit our ELECTRIC PANELS page for other related blog posts on this subject, or go to the INDEX for a complete listing of all our articles.