As we indicated earlier, the service section in a switchboard may contain metering devices for the utility and user. When this happens, the meters and associated transformers are mounted in separate compartments in the service section. The serving electric utility specifies the method by which the metering devices should be installed.
When they are installed before the main disconnect (the service side), it is called a hot sequence method. If they are mounted after the main disconnect (the load side) it is called the cold sequence method.
Facilities managers often install their own metering to determine the nature and timing of demands. When these are installed in the switchboard, they are typically installed directly after the utility watt-hour meters using the hot sequence method.
