Which underground wires? In our area if the wires are on the utility side of the meter, the utility is responsible.
From the meter pan on my house to the pole. Had to run conduit 10 ft up the pole and leave another 25 feet of the wire sticking out above the conduit so NYSEG could reach the transformer connections on the pole. Had to be burried in conduit 2 feet down. Homeowner is responsible for the entire run if underground. Overhead would have been a different story with the power company paying. NYSEG came early morning and disconnected the old line, the contractor dug the ditch and replaced the entrance wire ( this time in conduit ) The inspector came in the afternoon put a green sticker on the meter pan and signed it off then called NYSEG back that night to hook the new wire up and put new seals on the meter. 6 guys and an excavator were here all day in the middle of February with below zero wind chills. Only reason they could dig then was the 4 ft of snow insulating the ground I had to remove right before they started.
1984......I direct buried 3 wire cable from pole to meter.
That what they originally did with mine and frost pushed a stone up through the sand puncturing the insulation. Water got into the aluminum and turned it to powder. The electrician said they are replacing many with the same issue now that we're burried 20 years ago. Water lines and things that are burried below the frost line don't have the problem.
"frost line" here is about 8"
