utility company read the gas meter wrong this month (and a story about changing electric meter)

[Filliam H. Muffman]

Article Accelerator wrote:
...and the reconnection surge damaged my VCR.

Unless you have devices in your home that generate a strong reactive current or you have faulty wiring somewere, there should be no reason that plugging in an electrical meter would be any different than plugging in the VCR to the wall socket.