Information bulletin—Measurement Canada publishes general requirements in support of lengthened initial reverification periods for natural gas and electricity meters

Background

In June of 2007, Measurement Canada implemented changes to Provisional Specification PS-E-11 and Bulletin E-26 which provided for the granting of a lengthened initial reverification period of 10 years to certain electronic electricity meters. These changes supported what was considered to be, at the time, a temporary program that would allow for the initial reverification period on certain electronic electricity meters to be addressed, while a joint working group (JWG) of industry and government representatives reviewed and considered future program options. In this regard, the future program design elements and requirements would not be specific to electronic electricity meters, but would instead be technology neutral such that the scope of application would encompass both natural gas and electricity meters.

The JWG, formed in January of this year, reviewed different options with regard to the establishment of a meter's initial reverification period and concluded that the prototypic program principles, utilized in support of the lengthening of an electronic electricity meter's initial reverification period, were principles which were appropriate on a go forward basis. As such, the JWG recommended that the principles and structure of the temporary program be adopted and formalized for future application to both natural gas and electricity meters in general.

Program responsibilities

The program elements which will form part of the new process for achieving lengthened initial reverification periods on natural gas or electricity meters, include the following:

1. Meter Pattern Approval: Meter approval applicants will assume primary responsibility for pursuing, qualifying, administrating, and demonstrating compliance with all program requirements in support of obtaining and maintaining a meter's lengthened initial reverification period. In this regard, where a lengthened initial reverification period is being sought relative to a specific meter type or types that are included within a particular Notice of Approval (NOA), pattern approval applicants (meter manufacturers) will be responsible for attesting to the meter's performance accuracy during the lengthened period and demonstrating that meters are designed and produced under an acceptable quality assurance program. Meter performance attestations made by pattern approval applicants will be further validated through one of two means: A) through a national meter performance sampling initiative which will occur at an interim point during a meter's initial in-service period and prior to the lengthened reverification period's expiration; or B) through the assessment of historic in-service meter performance records that have been compiled for a specific meter class or type.
2. Interim Meter Performance Testing: In cooperation with the meter approval applicant and Measurement Canada representatives, meter owners will have general responsibility for the removal, performance testing, documentation and provision of test results with regard to any meter that has been identified as one to which the program's interim sampling requirements apply.
3. Program Governance: Measurement Canada shall be responsible for: reviewing and processing applications for lengthened initial reverification periods in accordance with specified program requirements; for identifying, maintaining, and communicating the meter makes and models to which a lengthened period applies; for selecting and overseeing the testing of sample meters as part of any interim sampling requirements; and for reviewing meter performance data and concluding on meter compliance.

Program application

Present

On the basis of the program design elements and responsibilities which have been established by the JWG, Measurement Canada has started to amend and issue the Specifications, Bulletins, and Communication documents needed to support the initial reverification period program. In this regard, the following documents have been recently issued or amended:

Electricity and Gas Specification, S-EG-01, "Electricity and Gas Meter Pattern Approval Applications - Quality and Measurement Reliability Information Requirements in Support of a Lengthened Initial Reverification Period". This specification establishes the quality and measurement reliability information requirements for electricity and natural gas meter pattern approval in support of the lengthening of a meter's initial reverification period. This specification also identifies the meter types or classes that are currently considered as eligible for application. The document's requirements are effective upon posting and are new in application to gas meters but replace electricity meter Provisional Specification PS-E-11.

Electricity and Gas Bulletins, G-18 (rev.2) "Reverification Periods for Gas Meters, Ancillary Devices and Metering Installations" and E-26 (rev.4) "Reverification Periods for Electricity Meters and Metering Installations". These Bulletins have been amended to ensure the uniformity of reverification period requirements that are applicable to either electricity or gas meters. The amendments also introduce limits to the subsequent verification periods provided to meters which have not been renewed. Specifically, the subsequent reverification period limits presented in the G-18 and E-26 revisions, align with the maximum extension period ratios currently being provided to meters that are reverified as part of the Agency's compliance sampling program. The effective date of the revisions to both G-18 and E-26 is January 01, 2009. (Note that the ratio limits and subsequent reverification periods granted may be subject to further amendment as a result of the Compliance Sampling JWG's current undertaking which is reviewing all aspects of the Compliance Sampling program).

Gas Bulletin G-03, "Natural Gas Meters and Ancillary devices Qualified for a Lengthened Initial Reverification Period". This Bulletin is equivalent to electricity Bulletin E-28 and has been issued as the communication vehicle which will list the gas meters which have qualified for a lengthened or conditionally lengthened initial reverification period. The effective date of this Bulletin is January 01, 2009.

Future

With conclusions having been reached by the JWG on the basic program design for the lengthening of both gas and electricity initial reverification periods and the subsequent issuance of the necessary requirement and communication documents, Measurement Canada has also completed its review and audit of the historic compliance sampling data with regard to the 200 series of diaphragm meters. This review exercise has resulted in: A) the establishment of generic meter performance criteria which will be used to assess the in-service meter performance levels that will be required in support of the lengthening of a meter's initial reverification period, and B) the recognition of the 200 series of diaphragm meters as qualifying for an initial reverification period of 10 years upon application in accordance with S-EG-01.

In the coming months, a new sampling specification will be issued by Measurement Canada which will formally establish the requirements for the interim inspection by sampling of electricity and natural gas meters that have been granted a conditionally lengthened initial verification period. Additionally, criteria will also be published to support the immediate granting of a lengthened initial reverification period on the basis of historic compliance sampling meter performance data (where available).

Any enquiries with respect to this Information notice should be directed to a Program Officer responsible for either electricity or natural gas measurement.

Guy Dacquay
Manager, Utility Metering Division
Program Development Directorate

Questions and Answers—General requirements in support of lengthened initial reverification periods for natural gas and electricity meters