All meters can be bypassed if the user is determined enough. There are a few measures that can be put into place that will deter the tampering of the meters. This will depend on which type of meter you install and where this meter is installed.
An integrated meter is installed inside the dwelling. This meter comes as standard with tamper cover and lead seals. Upon a visual inspection the property owner can see if the seals have been broken and the meter tampered with. In addition, if any unauthorised attempt is made to remove the cover, the meter will automatically go into tamper mode and lock up, this means that no token can be loaded until the tamper mode has been reset. It is also possible to detect possible tampering by monitoring the purchase patterns of the user.
A split meter is installed by way of installing the meter itself in a secure, lockable electrical box or kiosk where there is controlled access and the keypad is placed inside the dwelling allowing the user to load the tokens either via Power Line Communication (if the keypad is plugged into the wall socket) or via RF Radio Frequency if the keypad is wireless. Due to the security of installation, this meter is far harder to tamper with and recommended for high-risk environments.
At all times, the property owner or elected representative has online access to the vending management system in order to view purchasing patterns, draw reports and determine which meters are not vending.