Break It Down - Conclusion (hopefully)

So turns out one set of wires coming into my house from the transformer was loose. That's why only one leg of the circuit was going out. Loose because this giant lug nut holding them in place was "tempered" and could not be tightened anymore. Not good. Needed to be replaced.

Guess what? In the fair state of NC the power company (PC) does not own the meter base - you do. (the meter base encloses the wires and tempered lug nut that needs to be replaced. PC owns wires and actual meter, that's it.)



Guess what? The electrician has to pull a permit to work on it.
Guess what else? My home warranty program doesn't cover permits.

I'll spare you the details of the week's worth of phone calls it took to coordinate the power being turned off (forty eight hour notice please), and the electrician; the permit, thankfully, was arranged by the electrician.

Tuesday morning -
8:30 AM: the power's turned off.
11:30 AM: the electrician is finished. The inspector was there, asked me to call PC and he will also call to tell them to restore power.
11:35 AM: I call PC.
6:00 PM: I go home.

No [%*$@#% are-you-kidding-me?!] power.

It's 93 outside, 87 inside.
The cats are hanging around the cool slate slab of the fireplace hearth, too hot to eat.

I call PC, on phone for twenty seven minutes, twenty five of which is on hold while two different people check to "see what's going on". Second person comes back to phone and says, "I show your power being turned back on July 2."
Ah, no.

She amends that, says someone should be around to turn power by 9 PM.
It's about 6:30.
7:30 PM, PC shows up and in about twenty minutes, power is restored!

Home warranty fee - $60
Permit - $125
Air conditioning - priceless