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Consultation - Minor amendments to the Electricity and Gas Inspection Regulations

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Proposed Amendments to the Electricity and Gas Inspection Regulations, in PDF format, 106 KB

1. Section 2 of the Electricity and Gas Inspection Regulations is amended by adding the following after subsection (2):

(3) Unless otherwise provided in these Regulations, “verified meter” includes a reverified meter.

Old definition:

Not applicable

Rationale for change:
Clarifies scope of application of the term “verified meter”, as meters are verified upon initial presentation and maybe reverified during subsequent assessments (ie. Reverifications).

The intent of clarifying the expression “verified meter” is to ensure that the word “verified”, used in the generic sense in section 11, was not misinterpreted to exclude reverified meters.

Old definition:

Not applicable

Rationale for change:

Provides a more appropriate and technically correct definition, than the term “calorific power” used previously in the Regulations.

Old Subsections 3(2) & 3(2)(a):

3. (2) A diaphragm gas meter 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 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 a device that transmits the reading of the meter to a remote location;

Rationale for change:

Extends scope of application of conditional exemption from “diaphragm gas meter” to gas meter in general.

Amends condition (a) to recognize the breaking of a seal to “remove” an automatic meter reading (AMR) device.

Old Paragraph 8 (2) (c):

8. (2) A certificate issued pursuant to subsection (1) shall be valid:
....

(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.

Old Section 8 Table, in PDF format, 48 KB

New Section 56 of the Weights and Measures Regulations (SOR/2005-297)

56. (1) Every local standard described in column I of the table to this subsection shall be calibrated and certified at least once within the period set out in column II.

Table to Section 56. (1), in PDF format, 46 KB

56. (2) Where the tolerance for a local standard is that referred to in subsection 54(4), every local standard described in column I of the table to this subsection shall be calibrated and certified at least once within the period set out in column II.

Table to Section 56. (2), in PDF format, 31 KB

Rationale for change:

These amendments are linked with an amendments to the Weights and Measures Regulations (WMR) (SOR/2005-297) and will result in the transfer of the measuring apparatus previously listed in table to section 8 to the local standards table within the WMR, as referred under section 5 of the Electricity and Gas Inspection Act (EGIA). These items will now appear as item 10, 11 & 13 through 17 in subsection 56(1) and in subsection 56(2) of the WMR.

This amendment is intended to consolidate, into a single location, the calibration period for almost all local standards used by Measurement Canada and accredited meter verifiers. Previously, calibration periods were set out in sections 56 and 56.1⁽¹⁾ of the WMR as well as subsection 8(2) of the Electricity and Gas Inspection Regulations.


With this change almost all calibration periods will be found in subsection 56(1) of the WMR, with subsection 56(2) only covering those local standards which are not specified in subsection 56(1). This will avoid having to specify common W&M and E&G standards, such as thermometers and static linear measures, in three different tables and the possibility of having conflicting calibration periods and tolerances. For instance, Schedule IV of the WMR set out the tolerance for a static linear measure, however a similar static linear measure used for the E&G inspection would be subject to a difference tolerance via subsection 54(4) of the WMR. Furthermore, had a 2 year calibration cycle been set out in subsection 56(1) for an electronic thermometer and if no changes been made to table of section 8 of the EGIR, the same thermometer used for an E&G inspection would have been given a 5 year calibration period. This amendment will serve to provide uniformity in the application of the prescribed calibration periods and tolerances for local standards, as well as facilitate the upkeep of the two pieces of legislation.

The amendment to section 8(2)(c) will state that the certification period for measuring apparatus (other than those certified as local standards under the (WMA)) shall be set out by the director in the certificate. This certification under the EGIR will be applicable in the case of measuring apparatus which are not dealt with as local standards under the WMR. These measuring apparatus will be certified in accordance with specifications which address the calibration, certification, installation and use of the subject measuring apparatus (ie. bell provers, test board, sonic nozzle provers, turbine provers). The certification period stated in the certificate shall be as prescribed by the applicable specification.

This amendment will not prevent the Director from prescribing validity periods or tolerances within the specifications established for complex measurement apparatus subject to section 8 of the EGIR such as an electricity meter calibration console or a gas bell prover.

The intent of this amendment is to consolidate under one statute, the validity periods for standards as referred to in section 5 of the Electricity and Gas Inspection Act (EGIA) (note that the EGIA is linked to the WMA via this section).

⁽¹⁾ SOR/2005-297 renumbered sections 56 and 56.1 as subsections 56(1) and 56(2)

Old Subsection 29 (3):

29. (3) A notice referred to in subsection 23(3) of the Act shall state in writing the reason or reasons for dissatisfaction when the findings.

Rationale for change:

Amend English version to align with that of the French.

Old Paragraph 31 (1) (a):

31.(1) (a) three per cent of the amount of electricity or gas registered by the meter, and

Rationale for change:

Changing the term “registered” to “delivered” clarifies that the error of the meter is to be expressed in terms of “true error” calculated on the basis of what a meter should have registered given the amount of gas or electricity which passed through it, rather than what the meter registered.

The change reflects the current Measurement Canada practice of calculating the meter's conventional true error during dispute tests versus using the "registration" error implied by the current regulation.
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