Information Bulletin — Meter Burden Information Required for Electricity Meter Pattern Approval

2010-03-18

Electricity meter manufacturers are hereby advised that as of April 1, 2010, Measurement Canada (MC) Approval Services Laboratory (ASL) will be requesting meter burden information for all electricity meter types that are submitted for initial approval evaluation, and for revisions to existing approved electricity meters.

In 2005 MC was informed that electricity meter burden characteristics were a factor that impacted on the veracity of calibration console error determination. The amount of burden placed on a test console can vary drastically depending on the type and number of meters being tested. The error which a console indicates for any given meter under test will depend on the burden placed on the console by the meter(s), (note: the effect of burden impacts on the ability of a test console to directly compare the accuracy of a meter under test with that of the certified reference standard).

In order to accurately assess calibration consoles to be certified to verify electricity meters (pursuant to section 5 of the Electricity and Gas Inspection Act), MC requires meter burden characteristic information. As the designers and constructors of electricity meters, manufacturers have the ability to provide applicable burden data as part of the complete package of information required by MC to sufficiently describe the design, composition, construction, and performance of the meter for which approval is sought.

The ASL will request approval applicants to provide meter burden data expressed in magnitude in units of volt-amperes, and expressed directionally as either capacitive or inductive. Burden data shall include the total meter burden for meters which incorporate integrated electronics modules as part of the approval package. Meter burden data will be included in the Notice of Approval (NOA).

Section 13 (b) of the Electricity and Gas Inspection Regulations authorises MC to request information sufficient to clearly describe the design, composition, construction and performance of the meter for which approval is sought.

Specifically section 13 (b) states:

13. An application for a permission or an approval referred to in section 9 of the Act shall be made in writing to the director and shall contain the following information:
(b) information sufficient to describe clearly the design, composition, construction and performance of the meter or the class, type or design of meter to which the application relates;

Effective April 1, 2010, electricity meter approvals (or revisions to existing approvals) will only be granted once the ASL has received all the requested information sufficient to clearly describe the design, composition, construction, and performance of the meter for which approval is sought.

For further information, please contact:

Mike Abraham
Senior Program Officer - Electricity
Program Development Directorate
Measurement Canada
Tel.: 613-946-3387
Fax: 613-952-1736
e-mail: mike.abraham@ic.gc.ca