ROCHESTER, Minn. - Rochester Public Utilities is seeing a string of incident where electric meters have been tampered with. They are now asking residential and commercial customers to visually inspect their meters and call RPU if they notice any evidence of tampering or damage. They warn to never go near or make contact a meter you suspect has been manipulated.

Not only is tampering with or removing an electric meter is not only against the law, Tony Benson with RPU says it can be deadly.

"When you're monkeying with a meter whether you're trying to disable it, pull it off, whatever it may be there's a lot of electricity behind there and it very well may be fatal," Benson explains.

"The incidents that we've seen recently have been with commercial customers and one of the reasons we could think of is if someone were to potentially want to rob a building rob a business or just do damage."

If you think someone has tried to disconnect or damage your electric meter, contact RPU at 507-280-1500 to have it inspected.