New York Consolidated Laws, Penal Law - PEN § 270.40 Unlawfully installing a gas meter

1. As used in this section “gas meter” means any gas meter that measures usage of any end use customer of gas services.

2. A person is guilty of unlawfully installing a gas meter when he or she installs the gas meter or is the owner of the premises where the meter is unlawfully installed and knows that such gas meter was unlawfully installed.  A gas meter is unlawfully installed when it is installed by any person other than a person acting on behalf of a utility corporation subject to the jurisdiction of the public service commission, unless such person has received a permit to install the gas meter from the appropriate permitting authority.

Unlawfully installing a gas meter is a class B misdemeanor.