Ala. Admin. Code r. 770-X-3-.03

Current through Register Vol. 43, No. 1, October 31, 2024

Section 770-X-3-.03 - Meter Testing Facilities, Equipment And Standards

(1) Metering Laboratory

(a) Whenever any utility is maintaining or shall hereafter establish and maintain a metering laboratory, periodic inspection by the Commission will be made of the instruments and methods in use, and if instruments and methods are acceptable to the Commission after such inspections, certification of meters and instruments for its own or other utilities' use may be made by such laboratory. Utilities not maintaining metering laboratories may obtain authorization from the Commission to have certification of meters and instruments made for them by any approved metering laboratory.

(2) Facilities and Equipment

(a) Each utility furnishing metered electric service shall, unless specifically excused by the Commission, provide for and have available such meter laboratory, standard meters, instruments, and other equipment and facilities as may be necessary to make the tests required by these Rules. Such equipment and facilities shall be acceptable to the Commission, and shall be available at all reasonable times for the inspection of any authorized representatives of the Commission.

(b) Each utility furnishing metered electric service shall provide for and have available such portable indicating electrical testing instruments or watt-hour meters of suitable range and type for testing service watt-hour meters, demand meters, switchboard instruments, recording volt meters, and other electrical instruments in use as may be deemed by the Commission necessary and satisfactory.

(3) Test Standards

(a) For testing the accuracy of portable watt-hour meters, commonly called "portable watt-hour meter standards," and other portable instruments used for testing service meters, each utility not specifically excused by the Commission, as provided for in section (B) of this Rule, shall provide for and have available as reference or check standards suitable indicating electrical instruments, watt-hour meters, watt meters or any or all of them, hereafter called reference standards. Such standards may be of the service type of watt-hour meters but, if so, such watt-hour meters shall be permanently mounted in the meter laboratory of the utility and be used for no other purpose than for checking working portable watt-hour meter standards. Reference standards of all kinds will be tested and, if necessary, adjusted by the Commission at least once a year, unless a metering laboratory is maintained as provided for in Section (A) of this Rule.

(b) All alternating current portable watt-hour meters (portable watt-hour meter standards) shall be compared with reference standards at least once every twelve (12) months during the time such portable testing standards are being regularly used. Unless accompanied by a calibration card, if such check shows any portable watt-hour meter (portable watt-hour meter standard) to be in error more than one (1) percent plus or minus at any load which the standards will be used, the meter shall be tested, adjusted, and certified in the laboratory of the utility, or in some other approved laboratory, or by the Commission. Each portable watt-hour meter (portable watt-hour meter standard) shall at all times be accompanied by a certificate or calibration card, signed by the proper authority, giving the date when it was certified and adjusted. Records of the certifications and calibrations shall be kept on file in the office of the utility for a period of at least one year.

(c) All portable indicating electrical testing instruments such as volt-meters, amp meters and watt-meters, when in regular use for testing purposes, shall be checked against suitable reference standards at least once every twelve (12) months, and if found appreciable in error at zero or in error by more than two (2) percent of full scale value at commonly used scale deflections shall, unless accompanied by a calibration card, be adjusted and certified in some approved laboratory or by the Commission.

Ala. Admin. Code r. 770-X-3-.03

Effective January 1968. Amended October 1988. Amended September 1990. Amended November 2003. Filed with LRS February 5, 2013. Filed for Codification in the Alabama Administrative Code by the Alabama Public Service Commission on February 5, 2013, pursuant to Code of Ala. 1975, § 41-22-7.

Author: Alabama Public Service Commission

Statutory Authority:Code of Ala. 1975, §§ 37-1-32, 37-1-38, 37-1-53.