Amendments to Measurement Canada’s Specifications for Approval of Type of Gas Meters and Auxiliary Devices: Indicating Devices(Mechanical, Electromechanical, and Electronic Display Register)

The purpose of this announcement is to provide early notice to the gas industry and general public of Measurement Canada's (MC) intentions to publish amended specifications related to indicating devices for the type approval of gas meters.

Currently, MC specifications do not prescribe clear requirements regarding the provision of an indicating display on gas meters, which has prompted numerous requests for clarification in relation to gas meter type approval evaluation. Meanwhile, since 2003, MC has been consulting and working on developing new policy direction with regards to indicating displays, in response to a changing marketplace. The advancements in communications technology and ongoing development and use of standardized communications protocols has prompted the Agency to review their particular application for electronic indicating displays. This subject was reviewed extensively during the recent initiative of the MC/Electricity Industry Joint Workgroup on the Establishment of Legal Units of Measurement (LUM) Outside of an Approved Electricity Meter, in consideration of current international requirements established or proposed by OIML (Organization internationale de la métrologie légale). The results of this work have prompted recommendations and interim policy positions with regards to electronic indicating devices, which MC will apply to both electricity and gas meters since the OIML requirements are the same for both.

Intended Policy for Indicating Devices: All approved gas meters shall have some manner of indication which forms part of the approval, which may be either a mechanical, electro-mechanical, or electronic device. The indicating device may be external or ancillary to the main body of the meter (i.e. connected via wires or radio frequency, etc.). It is anticipated, though not specifically required, that the indicating device will be physically located at the meter site. Further development of a recognized standard communications protocol may eventually allow MC to accept the provision and use of an ancillary indicating device that would not need to be part of the meter's approval of type.

The above policy will be included in an upcoming MC bulletin which provides interpretations applied to MC specification LMB-EG-08: Specifications for Approval of Type of Gas Meters. The effective date of implementation for this policy will be set at six months following publication of that bulletin.

For more information on this upcoming policy, please contact:

Ron Willms
Senior Program Officer, Gas Measurement
390 Brant Street, Suite 201
Burlington, Ontario
L7R 4J4
Telephone: (905) 639-3077
Fax: (905) 639-6551
E-mail: willms.ron@ic.gc.ca