Electricity and Gas Inspection Regulations (SOR/86-131)

Short Title

1 These Regulations may be cited as the Electricity and Gas Inspection Regulations.

Interpretation

• 2 (1) In these Regulations,

  absolute pressure scale

  absolute pressure scale means the pressure measuring scale the zero of which represents the pressure exerted by a total vacuum; (échelle de pression absolue)

  accreditation audit

  accreditation audit means an assessment of the facilities, procedures and capabilities of an applicant for accreditation as a meter verifier to ascertain whether the required standards of meter performance control can be met and maintained by the applicant; (vérification d’accréditation)

  Act

  Act means the Electricity and Gas Inspection Act; (Loi)

  average flowing gas temperature

  average flowing gas temperature means the time weighted or the volume weighted average of the temperatures of the gas flowing through a meter during the period a volume of gas is measured by the meter; (température moyenne d’écoulement du gaz)

  average meter pressure

  average meter pressure means the time weighted or the volume weighted average of the pressures exerted by the gas within a meter during the period a volume of gas is measured by the meter; (pression moyenne du compteur)

  electricity metering installation

  electricity metering installation means an installation that consists of more than one electricity meter installed at the same location and that is used for the purpose of obtaining the basis of a charge for electricity supplied to a purchaser; (installation de mesure de l’électricité)

  gas metering installation

  gas metering installation means an installation that consists of more than one gas meter installed at the same location and that is used for the purpose of obtaining the basis of a charge for gas supplied to a purchaser; (installation de mesure du gaz)

  gauge pressure scale

  gauge pressure scale means the pressure measuring scale the zero of which represents the pressure exerted by the earth’s atmosphere at the time and place the measurement is taken; (échelle de pression manométrique)

  measured atmospheric pressure

  measured atmospheric pressure means the time weighted or volume weighted average of the atmospheric pressures measured at the location of a meter during the period a volume of gas is measured by the meter; (pression atmosphérique mesurée)

  Measurement Canada office

  Measurement Canada office means any office of the Department of Industry for use by persons employed in the administration of the Act; (bureau de Mesures Canada)

  standard conditions

  standard conditions means standard temperature and standard pressure; (conditions normales)

  standard pressure

  standard pressure means

  • (a) in the International system of units, an absolute pressure equal to 101.325 kPa, and

  • (b) in the Imperial system of units,

    • (i) 14.73 psia, or

    • (ii) 30 in. of mercury at 32°F; (pression normale)

  standard temperature

  standard temperature means a temperature that is equal to

  • (a) 15°C in the International system of units, or

  • (b) 60°F in the Imperial system of units; (température normale)

  standard volume

  standard volume means a volume of gas expressed in units of either the cubic metre or the cubic foot at standard pressure and standard temperature as determined in accordance with section 35. (volume normal)

• (2) Where a word or expression is used in these Regulations to describe a type of meter, a function or part of a meter or a measurement, that term shall have the meaning set out in the appropriate specifications, as amended from time to time, made available pursuant to sections 12, 18, 19, 44 and 45.

Exemptions

• 3 (1) Instrument transformers that are designed and constructed to have fixed, non-adjustable accuracy characteristics are exempted from subsection 9(1) of the Act.

• (2) A gas meter with a broken seal is exempt from the requirement that it not be continued in use until it has been reverified under subsection 15(2) of the Act if all of the following conditions are satisfied:

  • (a) the seal was deliberately broken by an inspector or accredited meter verifier for the purpose of installing or removing a device that transmits the reading of the meter to a remote location;

  • (b) no components of the meter other than the register cover and the register have been removed from the meter;

  • (c) any component that has been removed from the meter has been promptly replaced such that the reading of the register is unchanged except for, in cases where the register has not been removed, increases indicating the volume of gas that passed through the meter during the time the seal was broken; and

  • (d) the meter is promptly resealed and restamped, relabelled, retagged or otherwise marked by an inspector or accredited meter verifier in accordance with the specifications made available by the director pursuant to section 18 of these Regulations.

• (3) A meter that was originally sealed using a plastic filament of any diameter or a metallic filament with a diameter of less than 0.644 mm and that is discovered in service with a broken seal is exempt from the requirement of subsection 15(2) of the Act that it not be continued in use until it has been reverified if both of the following conditions are satisfied:

  • (a) there is no visible sign that the broken seal resulted from an attempt to alter or affect the working parts or adjustments of the meter or in any other way affect the registration of the meter; and

  • (b) the meter is resealed by an inspector in accordance with the Act and these Regulations.

Delegation of Functions

• 4 (1) The director may delegate, in writing, his functions under any provision of the Act, other than subsection 11(1) or section 22.

• (2) Prior to any delegation pursuant to subsection (1) notice of the delegation shall be published in the Canada Gazette.

PART IUnits and Measuring Apparatus

Units

• 5 (1) Where the amount of electricity supplied and the time-related demand for electricity supplied are the joint basis of a charge for electricity sold to a purchaser, the unit of measurement for the sale of such electricity shall be, with respect to the amount of electricity sold, a unit referred to in paragraph 3(1)(a) of the Act and, with respect to the time-related demand for electricity sold,

  • (a) the watt;

  • (b) the volt-ampere; or

  • (c) the var.

• (2) Where the unit of measurement for the sale of electricity is the volt-ampere or volt-ampere hour, vector addition shall be used to determine the total number of such units in a combination of polyphase circuits.

• 6 (1) The cubic metre and the cubic foot referred to in subparagraph 3(1)(b)(i) of the Act shall be determined at standard pressure and at standard temperature.

• (2) The British Thermal Unit referred to in subparagraph 3(1)(b)(ii) of the Act shall be defined as the quantity of energy that must be added to one pound avoirdupois of distilled water to raise its temperature from 60°F to 61°F under standard pressure and is represented in these Regulations by the symbol “Btu_(60.5)”.

Measuring Apparatus

7 A measuring apparatus that is required for measurement of electricity or gas or examination of meters shall be calibrated in the following manner:

• (a) by testing its accuracy at points throughout the measuring range of the apparatus; and

• (b) by tracing its accuracy at one or more points tested in accordance with paragraph (a) to reference standards kept by the National Research Council of Canada.

• 8 (1) For the purposes of section 5 of the Act, the calibration of a measuring apparatus referred to in section 7 shall be certified by the director on receipt of written particulars establishing

  • (a) that the apparatus has been calibrated in the manner prescribed in section 7;

  • (b) that the proposed manner of installation and use of the measuring apparatus is appropriate; and

  • (c) that no error at any of the points tested throughout the measuring range referred to in section 7 exceeds two per cent of the value or reading at that point indicated by the reference standard referred to in paragraph 7(b).

• (2) A certificate issued pursuant to subsection (1) shall be valid

  • (a) only for use of the measuring apparatus within the measuring range referred to in section 7;

  • (b) only for the installation and use of the measuring apparatus as referred to in paragraph (1)(b); and

  • (c) in the case of a measuring apparatus set out in an item of column I of the table to this section, for the period set out in column II of that item.

  Item	Column I	Column II
  	Description of Measuring Apparatus	Period of Validity of Certificate
  1	Any electricity measuring apparatus	1 year
  2	Any gas measuring apparatus	5 years

PART IIContractors

Registration

• 9 (1) The register referred to in subsection 6(1) of the Act shall be maintained for the registration of contractors who hold a certificate of registration pursuant to subsection 6(2) of the Act and shall contain for each of the contractors the information referred to in subsection (2).

• (2) A contractor who wishes to register under section 6 of the Act shall apply in writing for a certificate of registration and indicate whether the application concerns the supply of electricity or gas and such application shall contain

  • (a) the name of the contractor;

  • (b) the principal place of business of the contractor; and

  • (c) the geographical area in which the contractor intends to operate.

• (3) The original of a certificate of registration shall be sent to the contractor who has applied therefor and a copy thereof shall be retained with the register.

• (4) Where there is any change in the information provided by a contractor pursuant to subsection (2), the contractor shall forthwith inform the director in writing of any such change and shall return to the director the certificate of registration to which the change applies.

10 For the purposes of subsection 6(3) of the Act, a notice referred to in that subsection shall be sent by registered mail, shall state the date on which the contractor ceased to sell electricity or gas on the basis of measurement and shall contain details as to the disposition or intended disposition of all meters owned, used or possessed by the contractor.

Owner’s Records

• 11 (1) In this section,

  owner

  owner means an owner referred to in subsection 16(1) of the Act; (propriétaire)

  owner’s records

  owner’s records means the records required to be kept by an owner pursuant to subsection 16(2) of the Act. (dossier)

• (2) An owner’s records shall contain the following information and documentation if applicable for each verified or reverified meter in that owner’s use, namely,

  • (a) the type designation, serial number, rating and multiplier assigned by the manufacturer,

  • (b) the purchaser’s account number, name and address,

  • (c) the inspection number assigned by the contractor,

  • (d) the date of the meter’s latest reverification,

  • (e) the date of the meter’s initial verification or purchase,

  • (f) the applicable period referred to in section 12 of the Act within which the meter shall be submitted to reverification,

  • (g) the most recent certificate issued for the meter by an inspector or an accredited meter verifier,

  • (h) the parent group identification assigned by the owner,

  • (i) the meter’s current installation address,

  • (j) the date of the meter’s installation at its present location,

  • (k) in the case of an in-service unsealed meter, the date and nature of any maintenance work, and the date and results of any calibration,

  • (l) the date or dates on which the meter was sold, scrapped or otherwise disposed of, leased or lost, and

  • (m) for each billing period, the metering information used by the owner in establishing a charge,

  and, in the case of a verified or reverified meter used in respect of gas, shall also contain the following information, namely,

  • (n) an indication whether the verified or reverified meter corrects for temperature or pressure, or both,

  • (o) the metric conversion factor used for the purpose of billing,

  • (p) the mean atmospheric pressure or the atmospheric pressure calculated, declared or measured, as the case may be, pursuant to section 36 or 37, and applied to measurement calculations,

  • (q) where the pressure exerted by the gas within the meter is maintained constant by the use of an approved regulating device, the pressure multiplier established for the meter pursuant to section 36, and

  • (r) where the average meter pressure exceeds the mean atmospheric pressure or the atmospheric pressure calculated, declared or measured, as the case may be, pursuant to section 36 or 37, by more than 3.5 kPa in the International system of units or 0.5 psi in the Imperial system of units,

    • (i) in the case of a non-pressure converting meter, the average meter pressure expressed on the gauge pressure scale for each billing period,

    • (ii) in the case of a non-temperature converting meter, the average flowing gas temperature for each billing period,

    • (iii) the average relative density, the average carbon dioxide content and the average nitrogen content of gas metered for each billing period,

    • (iv) the supercompressibility factor established pursuant to section 40 and the method of its determination for each billing period, and

    • (v) in the case of an orifice meter, the size of the orifice plates and the dimensions of the primary element components in the orifice meter.

• (3) An owner’s records shall contain, in addition to the information referred to in subsection (2), the following information on a calendar year basis with respect to the verified or reverified meters in use by that owner:

  • (a) the total number of verified or reverified meters used to measure electricity or gas supplied

    • (i) to residential locations, and

    • (ii) to industrial or commercial locations; and

  • (b) a listing of the inspection numbers and types of verified or reverified meters due or overdue for reverification.

• (4) Where an owner installs a gas metering installation or an electricity metering installation, the owner’s records shall contain, in addition to the information referred to in subsection (2) for each meter, the following information respecting the installation of the meters:

  • (a) details of any apparatus, wiring and piping that may affect the accuracy of the meters;

  • (b) the consumption on a calendar year basis of electricity or gas at that location; and

  • (c) in the case of an electricity metering installation, the overall multiplier.

• (5) Where an owner has installed a gas metering installation or an electricity metering installation, that owner shall provide forthwith to the director the information contained in

  • (a) the records respecting the installed meters as referred to in

    • (i) paragraphs (2)(a) to (d),

    • (ii) paragraphs (2)(p) and (q), and

    • (iii) subparagraph (2)(r)(v); and

  • (b) the records respecting the installation as referred to in paragraphs (4)(a) and (c).

• (6) Where an owner sells gas on the basis of energy units, the owner’s records shall contain the following information respecting the owner’s gas distribution system:

  • (a) details of the system, including the location of each point of supply of gas thereto;

  • (b) the method whereby the calorific power of the gas sold is determined; and

  • (c) the calorific power of the gas sold and the variation thereof.

• (6.1) An owner’s records shall contain the following information respecting the determination of a supercompressibility factor:

  • (a) details of the system, including the location of each point of supply of gas; and

  • (b) the method by which the supercompressibility factor of the gas sold is determined.

• (7) An owner shall retain the records containing the information referred to

  • (a) in subsection (2) for a period of at least 12 months after the date the meter ceased to be used;

  • (b) in subsection (3) for a period of at least 12 months after the expiration of the calendar year to which the records referred to in that subsection apply;

  • (c) in subsection (4) for a period of at least 12 months after the date the gas metering installation or electricity metering installation, as the case may be, ceased to be used; and

  • (d) in subsection (6) for a period of at least 12 months after the date the gas distribution system ceased to be used.