Citation and commencement

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Meters (Approval of Pattern or Construction and Method of Installation) Regulations 1990 and shall come into force on 31st March 1990.

Interpretation

2.-(1) In these Regulations-

"approved meter" means a meter in respect of which a notification of approval has been issued, or is deemed to have been issued;

"meter examiner" means a person who has been appointed under paragraph 4 of Schedule 7 to the Electricity Act 1989; and

"notification of approval" means a notification issued under regulation 7.

(2) Unless the context otherwise requires, any reference in these Regulations to a numbered regulation or Schedule is a reference to the regulation bearing that number in or the Schedule to these Regulations; and any reference in a regulation or the Schedule to a numbered paragraph is a reference to the paragraph of that regulation or the Schedule bearing that number.

Approved pattern or construction

3. A meter used for ascertaining the quantity of electricity supplied by an electricity supplier to a customer shall not be regarded as being of an approved pattern or construction unless a notification of approval in respect of that pattern or construction has been issued, or is deemed to have been issued, under these Regulations and that approval has not been revoked.

Application for approval

4.-(1) Any person who requires the pattern or construction of a meter to be approved shall submit to the Director-

(a)an application containing the information specified in the Schedule to these Regulations and signed by that person; and

(b)not less than three meters of the pattern or construction for which approval is required.

(2) References in this regulation to the pattern or construction of a meter include references to a modification of a pattern or construction which has previously been approved in accordance with these Regulations.

Testing of meters

5.-(1) Where a meter has been submitted to the Director under regulation 4, a meter examiner shall carry out, or procure the carrying out of, such tests as he considers are necessary to determine whether the pattern or construction of the meter is such that any meter of that pattern or construction will be capable of accurately recording the quantity of electricity for which the meter is intended to operate.

(2) In carrying out his functions under paragraph (1), a meter examiner shall have due regard to any national or international technical standards relating to meters of that or a similar pattern or construction.

(3) In relation to any one or more of the tests which the meter examiner considers necessary, he may require the person applying for approval to procure the carrying out of specified tests at any premises approved by the Director for carrying out tests of the type specified.

(4) A test referred to in paragraph (3) shall, if the meter examiner so requires-

(a)not be carried out until the meters have been sealed by him for identification purposes; and

(b)be carried out in his presence,

and the meters shall on completion of the test be delivered to the meter examiner.

(5) A meter which has been submitted to the Director under regulation 4 shall not be repaired or modified by any person, other than by a meter examiner for the purpose of carrying out tests in accordance with this regulation, until a notification has been issued under regulation 6 or 7.

Notification of refusal of approval

6.-(1) If a meter examiner concludes that the pattern or construction of the meter is such that any meter of that pattern or construction will not be capable of satisfying the requirement set out in regulation 5(1), he shall notify the person applying for approval accordingly, giving the reasons for his conclusion.

(2) Where a meter examiner reaches the conclusion mentioned in paragraph (1) before he has completed every test which he had considered necessary for the purpose of regulation 5, he shall not be required to carry out the remainder of those tests.

Notification of approval

7.-(1) Where a meter examiner concludes that the pattern or construction of the meter is such that any meter of that pattern or construction will be capable of satisfying the requirement set out in regulation 5(1), he shall issue a notification of approval to the applicant.

(2) A notification of approval for the purpose of paragraph (1) shall specify-

(a)the type or model number referred to in the application submitted under regulation 4(b);

(b)(where the meter contains more than one register of or relating to the quantity of electricity supplied) the maximum number of registers for which the meter is approved;

(c)subject to paragraph (3), the manner in which the meter is to be installed at all times during which it is intended to operate as an approved meter,

and shall relate only to a meter of the pattern or construction and containing the components described in the application.

(3) Unless the notification of approval otherwise provides, an approved meter shall be installed by affixing it in a vertical position to a secure surface and connecting it to the electric line providing the supply in accordance with the method specified on the meter.

(4) If a notification of approval under this regulation has not previously been issued in respect of a meter of the same pattern or construction, the notification of approval may contain a condition that the meter will cease to be an approved meter within such period as the Director shall determine having regard to the provisions of regulation 5 and the extent to which the pattern or construction of the pattern is or contains components which are of an innovative design.

(5) Where a notification of approval contains a condition under paragraph (4), any person may apply to the Director for the renewal of that approval not more than three months before the date upon which the period will expire.

(6) An application under paragraph (5) shall-

(a)contain the information specified in the Schedule to these Regulations and be signed by the person making the application; and

(b)be accompanied by not less than three meters of the pattern or construction to which the notification in question relates.

(7) For the purpose of paragraph (3) a meter which is installed at an inclination of not more than 3 degrees from the vertical in any direction shall be deemed to have been installed in accordance with the requirement of that paragraph.

Modifications

8.-(1) Subject to paragraph (2), a modification to any part of an approved meter shall cause that meter to cease to be an approved meter unless a notification of approval in respect of the pattern or construction of the meter, including that modification, has been issued.

(2) If a person makes a modification to an approved meter-

(a)which does not either itself, or when aggregated with any other modifications to which this paragraph applies, materially affect the operation of the meter; and

(b)within three months of the date upon which the modification is made submits to the Director an application containing the information specified in the Schedule, stating the nature of the modification, and (if so required by the Director) a meter or meters (not exceeding three in total) incorporating the modification or modifications,

the provisions of regulations 5, 6 and 7 shall apply to that application.

(3) A meter to which paragraph (2) applies shall not cease to be an approved meter unless a meter examiner issues a notification under regulation 6 within three months of the date upon which the application under sub-paragraph (b) of paragraph (2) was made.

Fees

9.-(1) A person who submits a meter for approval under regulation 5 shall pay to the Director a fee in respect of that application.

(2) The fee payable under paragraph (1) shall be an amount equal to the aggregate of-

(a)a sum calculated at the rate of £25 for every hour or part of an hour exceeding 30 minutes spent by the meter examiner in examining and testing the meter, including attending at any test carried out under paragraph (3) of regulation 5;

(b)a sum calculated at the rate of £33 for every hour or part of an hour exceeding 30 minutes for the use of premises provided by the Director for the carrying out of tests; and

(c)any reasonable expenses, including incidental expenses, incurred by the meter examiner in travelling to and from any premises at which a meter is tested under regulation 5(3).

(3) Any fee payable under this regulation shall be paid to the Director on demand by the person who submitted the meter for approval under regulation 5.

Transitional

10. A meter of which the pattern or construction and the method of installation had been approved by the Secretary of State prior to the coming into force of these Regulations shall be deemed to be an approved meter for the purpose of these Regulations until the date upon which that approval would have expired or the period for which that approval was granted expires.

Regulation 4

THE SCHEDULEAPPLICATION INFORMATION

1. Name and address of the person submitting the meter for approval.

2. Name and address of the person by whom the meter was manufactured.

3. The type or model number of the meter.

4. The voltage and current rating of the meter.

5. A description of the meter, stating whether the meter is-

(i)single or poly phase;

(ii)an induction or electronic meter;

(iii)a prepayment or credit meter; and

(iv)if it contains more than one register, the number of registers contained.

6. Conceptual designs, manufacturing drawings, and schemes of all components, including sub-assemblies and circuits.

7. A description and explanation of the information in paragraph 6 sufficient to enable a meter examiner to understand the design and operation of the meter.

8. A list of any national or international standards with which the meter or any parts of it comply or are believed to comply.

9. A report of any examination or test of the meter.

10. A statement of the instructions for connection of the meter to the electric line when it is in operation which will be permanently fixed to the meter if a notification of approval is granted (unless the instructions are attached to or impressed on the meters submitted under regulation 4(b)).

11. A statement of any other body to which the meter has been submitted for an approval having the same or substantially similar effect to a notification of approval.

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of these Regulations)

These Regulations set out the procedure for obtaining approval of the pattern or construction and manner of installation of meters to be used for ascertaining the quantity of electricity supplied by an electricity supplier to a customer.

Regulations 1 and 2 provide for the citation, commencement and interpretation of the Regulations. Regulation 3 sets out the circumstances in which a meter may be regarded as approved, and regulation 4 (which introduces the Schedule) sets out the procedure for obtaining approval. Regulation 5 specifies the procedures to be followed when testing meters submitted for approval.

Regulations 6 and 7 provide for notification of refusal or approval of an application and regulation 8 deals with cases where approved meters have been modified. Regulation 9 provides for fees payable in relation to an application for approval, and regulation 10 makes transitional arrangements.