Why did the electricity meter on the pole light up?

1 - how much do you have two counters?

2 - why on a support 40A, and in the house only 16?

Ask electricians how a 40A automatic machine could work earlier than a 16A automatic machine?

Most likely, the machine on the support had poor contact and it was warming, so the counter ?? Do I understand correctly? With poor contact, this often happens, especially since the branch you have made is most likely a SIP wire. It is aluminum. Aluminum metal flowing - the contact is weakened.

The second option - somewhere on the lead-in wire from the support to the house, the insulation was damaged and shortened from the water. But this is unlikely, then the machine should have worked up to the counter on the support.

There are no more options, in principle, and you are writing correctly what would have knocked you out if you turned on something powerful. And in order to “light” the counter you had to load sooooo well. Well, at times more than your 16A machine will allow.

Here, even the youngest electrician who does not cover his butt will say that the fault of the networkers, the Criminal Code, or whom did you call there to fix the problem? It’s to blame for the poor tightening, did not do an audit, did not inspect the equipment, etc.

To understand who should pay for its replacement, check on whose balance this “check counter” of yours plus let them provide an agreement, technical specifications or any other document where it is clearly stated. Otherwise, you can try to resort to litigation.