Patent ID: 7561399

Claim:
An electricity meter for measuring electrical power consumed by a load, the electricity meter comprising: a voltage input coupled to an electrical power line; a current input operably coupled to the electrical power line; a measurement device operably connected to the voltage input and the current input, the measurement device operable to generate electrical power consumption measurements based upon the voltage and current in the electrical power line; and a surge protection apparatus, the surge protection apparatus including an inductor and a protective barrier, the inductor coupled between the voltage input and the measurement device, the protective barrier configured to physically isolate the inductor from the measurement device, the surge protection apparatus further comprising a polymeric positive temperature coefficient device (PPTC) coupled in series with the inductor between the voltage input and the measurement device, the protective barrier configured to physically isolate the PPTC from the measurement device; a resistor connected in series between the PPTC and the measurement device; and a metal oxide varistor (MOV) operably connected at a first end between the resistor and the measurement device and at a second end to ground.