My wife and I are buying a two-family home that has 200 amp serice split between the two units. The home has fuses and not circuit breakers so we are looking at replacing the fuse box with a breaker box just after we close on the house. We are wondering if the 200 amp service has to stay 100/100 or if there is a way to change it to 150/150 or 200/200 without increasing the service from the road. We are looking to increase the number of outlets in each unit and do not want to overload the current fuses or circuit breakers with the current 100/100 service.

If the lines are overhead, USUALLY the part covered by the power company from the pole to the service drop. They usullay upgrade that for free.

Meter boxes have to be approved by the utility (sometime have their sticker on it). When they are purchased locally, they do. Midwest Electric Products, Inc. (http://www.midwestelectric.com) has some very nice SE (Service entrance) equipment. Some have two main breakers in what ever split you desire.

Since this is a two family dwelling, the power company may allow two separate services or you can sub-meter the other service and pass the charge onto the renters.

You cannot increase beyond what thhhe wires an transformer is rated for. The utility can tell you.