S-S-06—Sampling Plans for the Inspection of Isolated Lots of In-service Meters

Consultation period ends on March 31, 2010

This consultation initiative will be of primary interest to electricity and natural gas utilities and organizations that have been accredited by Measurement Canada to perform compliance sampling of in-service electricity and natural gas meters.

In January 2008, Measurement Canada launched a joint workgroup (JWG) initiative with the electricity and gas industries to review existing requirements and develop a new compliance sampling plan which would update or replace the current compliance sampling specification (LMB-EG-04) originally issued by the Agency in 1988. The Compliance Sampling JWG membership was composed of a balanced representation from both electricity and gas utilities & manufacturers, and Measurement Canada.

After numerous document development meetings, the JWG established the attached consultation draft compliance sampling specification S-S-06: Sampling Plans for the Inspection of Isolated Lots of In-Service Meters (S-S-06), which is to be used in the assessment of in-service meter performance quality for the purposes of extending the initial reverification period of electricity and natural gas meters.

In summary, the new compliance sampling requirements are significantly different from those which were prescribed under specification LMB-EG-04. Whereas specification LMB-EG-04 was a variables-based sampling plan, specification S-S-06 is an attribute-based plan modelled on certain sections of the internationally recognized ISO standard ISO 2859-2. As a result, minimum sample sizes have increased under the new plan. However, in many cases, the extension periods available to meters which demonstrate good performance accuracy have also increased. The new plan will consolidate into a single document, many of the compliance sampling related requirements and policies issued by the Agency over the last few years. Although the new plan is technically simpler in terms of result assessment, there are procedural limitations and performance-based options available to the user which contribute to making the document more administratively complex in practice.

Prior to reviewing the proposed compliance sampling plan in the attached draft specification S-S-06, it is recommended that interested stakeholders give consideration to the companion Information Bulletin which has been issued by Measurement Canada for the purposes of outlining the Agency’s intentions for how the transition from the current compliance sampling requirements (LMB-EG-04) to the new compliance sampling requirements (S-S-06) will occur.

Measurement Canada is soliciting comments from the public and industry stakeholders with regard to the draft specification S-S-06 - Sampling Plans for the Inspection of Isolated Lots of In-service Meters. All written comments with regard to this consultation document can be submitted to the undersigned, and will be accepted for consideration if received prior to March 31, 2010.

Bruce Lyng
Program Officer
Measurement Canada
Industry Canada, Government of Canada
191, University Avenue, Charlottetown, PE, C1A 4L2
Tel: 902-566-7424
Fax: 902-566-6859
Email: bruce.lyng@ic.gc.ca