Before you start doing anything else, you must call your electric company to confirm their process. It is technically their meter that you’re moving, so there’s really no such thing as free rein. Moving the meter generally involves disconnecting power from the utility company, disconnecting the cables that run into your electrical panel, and dismounting the meter assembly. Once uninstalled, a handyperson will remount and reconnect the wiring in its new location.

The National Electrical Codebook indicates that there should be at least 6 inches of wiring in the breaker box for connecting purposes. When in doubt, err on the side more, because you can always cut some wire off but you can never add it back on, and if you don’t have enough you may struggle to finish wiring your breaker box properly.

While most electrical items can be plugged into a GFCI outlet, some appliances with internal or stationary motors, such as refrigerators, vent fans, and fluorescent lighting, can cause nuisance tripping. This happens because they experience a small, normal amount of current leakage, which can cause the GFCI to trip even when the appliance is working correctly. Although this is not a safety hazard, it can be inconvenient and may cause the GFCI outlet to wear out faster. For this reason, it is often better to plug these types of appliances into a standard outlet. Additionally, electrical circuits over 100 feet long can sometimes cause tripping. Some appliances, like hair dryers, have their own built-in GFCI protection, so connecting them to a standard outlet is fine.

You can make a pigtail with either thermoplastic high-heat-resistant nylon-coated (THHN) wire or non-metallic (NM) cable, often referred to as “Romex.” Each pigtail requires a neutral wire, a ground wire, and a live wire. The gauge of your pigtail wires must match the gauge of those on the device.