G-02—Temporary permission for putting gas metering devices into service without sealing

Category: Gas
Issue date: 2023-10-10
Effective date: 2023-10-10
Revision number: 4
Supersedes: G-02, Rev.3


Table of contents


1.0 Purpose

The purpose of this bulletin is to establish policy requirements for granting temporary permission to place gas metering devices into service without sealing and to clarify the types of modifications that may be made to such devices without triggering the need for reverification.

2.0 Scope

2.1 Types of devices

This bulletin applies to electronic devices with built-in pressure conversion, temperature conversion and/or supercompressibility correction functions. Such devices include flow computers, electronic volume conversion (EVC) devices and gas flow meters with built-in EVC functions.

2.2 Exclusions

The following devices are excluded from the scope of this bulletin:

  1. Any device conforming to a particular type, make and model initially approved on or after January 1, 2015.
  2. Any device conforming to a particular type, make and model with significant modifications having been subsequently approved on or after January 1, 2015.

    Note: For the purposes of this bulletin, significant modifications include hardware changes or firmware revisions having a metrological impact, firmware revisions adding software updating capabilities, and changes to provisions for sealing or securing legally relevant firmware.

  3. Any new or renewed device verified as of January 1, 2026, and subsequently reverified.

    Note: Devices excluded from the scope of this bulletin must be sealed and secured following their verification or reverification. Therefore, a manufacturer seeking initial or subsequent approval of a device intended to be used in service as a configurable device must ensure it satisfies the applicable requirements of specifications S-EG-05—Specifications for the Approval of Software Controlled Electricity and Gas Metering Devices and S-EG-06—Specifications Relating to Event Loggers for Electricity and Gas Metering Devices.

3.0 Authority

In accordance with this bulletin, a temporary permission is granted under the authority of subsection 9(2) of the Electricity and Gas Inspection Act.

4.0 References

5.0 Definitions

Configurable device
(appareil configurable)

A device which is designed such that the information received from its measurement inputs can be selected and/or processed in different ways to suit different measurement applications. A configurable device includes any device that has been approved to permit legally relevant parameters to be deleted, appended to, modified, or substituted in whole or in part directly by the authorized operator or by any type of communications link from another device, such as a geographically local or remote console or computer, whether or not the secondary apparatus is part of the network connecting the devices.

Electronic volume conversion device
(appareil de conversion du volume électronique)

A software controlled device with integral pressure and/or temperature sensors that calculates and totalizes the line volume, base or standard volume, and possibly energy of gas flowing through a single meter. These calculations are performed using approved standard algorithms with a combination of live inputs and fixed and/or user-configurable parameters.

Flow computer
(débitmètre-ordinateur)

A software controlled device that calculates, time stamps and totalizes the mass, volume and/or energy of gas flowing through one or more metering devices. These quantities are expressed at line and/or base conditions and calculations are performed using approved standard algorithms with a combination of live inputs from other approved gas metering devices and fixed and/or user configurable parameters.

Legally relevant parameter
(paramètre juridiquement pertinent)

Parameter of a measuring instrument, electronic device or a sub-assembly subject to legal control. Legally relevant parameters typically form part of the legally relevant functions performed by a device. For the purposes of this bulletin, legally relevant parameters are those parameters which are, either individually or as part of a function, subject to verification under the Electricity and Gas Inspection Act.

Renewed device
(appareil remis à neuf)

A previously used metering device restored to the technical and metrological state of a new device by a manufacturer or an authorized service provider in accordance with specifications and procedures whose suitability for the purpose of device renewal has been attested to by the device manufacturing corporation.

Verification triggering event
(événement déclencheur de vérification)

Any event deemed by Measurement Canada to require a verification of a device before it is permitted to be used or continue to be used in trade.

6.0 Policy

6.1 Temporary permission

Subject to the terms and conditions described in subsections 6.2, 6.3 and 6.4, temporary permission is hereby granted for verified or reverified devices within the scope of this bulletin to be placed into service with verification marks and seals that do not restrict access to their local and/or remote software configuration capability and/or do not prevent battery exchanges.

6.2 Application of verification marks and seals to a device granted temporary permission

6.2.1 Device not intended to be used in service as a configurable device

Any verified or reverified device not intended to be used in service as a configurable device is to be sealed and secured in accordance with the provisions of the notice of approval, with the exception of those provisions that would prevent battery exchanges. Where this exception prevents any physical sealing, a verification mark is to be applied.

6.2.2 Device intended to be used in service as a configurable device

Any verified or reverified device intended to be used in service as a configurable device is to be sealed and secured in accordance with the provisions of the notice of approval, with the exception of those provisions that would:

  • restrict access to its local and/or remote software configuration capability; and/or
  • prevent battery exchanges.

Wherever this exception prevents any physical sealing, a verification mark is to be applied.

6.3 Modifications not considered to be verification triggering events

The following modifications to a device that is granted temporary permission in accordance with this bulletin are permissible and are not considered to be verification triggering events:

  • Modifications to a device's legally non-relevant and/or unapproved software.
  • Modifications to legally relevant parameters utilized by a verified legally relevant function, provided such parameters remain within the function's approved range.

    Examples of such parameters include those utilized by the American Gas Association (AGA) and Gas Processors Association (GPA) standard algorithms (e.g. AGA3, AGA7, AGA8, NX19, GPA2172, etc.) such as gas composition, specific gravity, heating value, orifice diameter, pipe diameter, base pressure, base temperature and atmospheric pressure.

  • A modification that results in the switching of one previously verified legally relevant parameter for another.

    An example of such a parameter is the volume per revolution of an EVC device that is designed to be installed on the instrument drive of a meter.

  • Modifications to legally relevant parameters relating to integral telemetering functions that are exempt from verification and sealing pursuant to bulletin GEN-33, provided the as-left settings continue to satisfy any conditions associated with the exemption.

    Examples of such parameters include those associated with a device's integral pulse generators such as pulse weight, pulse signal strength and pulse width.

6.4 Modifications considered to be verification triggering events

The following modifications to a device that is granted temporary permission in accordance with this bulletin are considered to be verification triggering events:

  • Hardware or software modifications affecting a device's performance and/or measurement accuracy.

    Examples of such modifications include hardware calibration adjustments and modification of type-specific parameters, calibration parameters, and parameters with hardware dependency.

  • Modifications to registered volume, mass and/or energy quantities used to form the basis of a charge.
  • All component exchanges and physical modifications to a device, with the exception of battery exchanges or where permitted in a device's notice of approval.
  • Updating, downgrading and/or reloading a device's software.

7.0 Expiry of temporary permission

No date is set for the expiry of the temporary permission provided for by this bulletin. As of January 1, 2026, all devices that continue to fall within the bulletin's scope of application will qualify to receive the temporary permission for the duration of their service life.

8.0 Revisions

The purpose of revision 4 was to change the date in subsection 2.2, item (c) and section 7.0 from January 1, 2024, to January 1, 2026.

The purpose of revision 3 was to change the date in subsection 2.2, item (c) and section 7.0 from January 1, 2021, to January 1, 2024.

The purpose of revision 2 was to:

  • change the date in subsection 2.2, item (c) and section 7.0 from January 1, 2018, to January 1, 2021;
  • include a definition for "renewed device";
  • reformat the document to conform to publishing requirements.

The purpose of revision 1 was to update and clarify the bulletin's scope, sealing requirements and the types of modifications that are permitted without triggering a reverification of the device.