GEN-29—Transfer of ownership of electricity and gas meters

The copy of this document located on Measurement Canada's website is considered to be the controlled copy.

Date: 2004-03-03
Bulletin: GEN-29
Category: General
Document(s): Electricity and Gas Inspection Act (sec. 2 and 16) and Electricity and Gas Inspection Regulations (sec. 11)


Table of contents


1.0 Scope

This bulletin applies to meter owners, electricity and gas contractors, and all electricity and gas meters which have been verified and sealed pursuant to the Electricity and Gas Inspection Act.

2.0 Purpose

The purpose of this bulletin is to provide interpretation on the application of the record-keeping requirements prescribed in the Electricity and Gas Inspection Regulations for meter owners and contractors in those situations where the ownership of verified and sealed electricity meters is transferred.

3.0 Background

The reorganization of the energy sales market and events such as the merger of electricity and gas suppliers have underscored the need to provide clarification to the industry on the legal obligations for meter owners and contractors.

4.0 Terminology

Contractor

Any person or body that has undertaken to supply electricity and gas to any purchaser.

Metering installation

A metering installation is an assembly of two or more meters, measuring devices, or other apparatus which are installed at the same location and function collectively for the purpose of making measurements of, or obtaining the basis of a charge for, electricity or gas supplied to a purchaser, and includes any other equipment, wiring, piping, or other apparatus necessary to assemble the measuring devices into a functioning unit.

Owner-seller

Owner who is transferring ownership of a meter, with or without its installation.

Owner-purchaser

Purchaser to whom ownership of a meter is being transferred, with or without its installation.

5.0 Legal obligations of owner-seller

For all meter-ownership transfers, the following provisions apply to the owner-seller:

5.1 Pursuant to subsection 16(1) of the Act, the owner-seller is responsible for ensuring that each verified meter being sold is kept in good repair such that it is in compliance with the requirements of the Regulations and all applicable Measurement Canada specifications.

5.2 In accordance with paragraph 11(2)(l) of the Regulations, the owner-seller's records shall contain the date or dates on which the meter was leased, sold, scrapped, lost or otherwise disposed of.

5.3 The owner-seller shall retain the records of the transferred meter containing the information referred to in subsection 11(2) of the Regulations, in accordance with paragraph 11(7)(a) of the Regulations, for a period of at least 12 months after the date the meter ceased to be used.

5.4 As prescribed in paragraph 11(7)(c) of the Regulations, when a metering installation is transferred or has no replacement meter, the owner-seller shall retain the records containing the information referred to in subsection 11(4) of the Regulations, for a period of at least 12 months after the date the gas metering installation or electricity metering installation, as the case may be, ceased to be used.

6.0 Legal obligations of owner-purchaser

For all meter-ownership transfers, the following provisions apply to the owner-purchaser:

6.1 Pursuant to subsection 16(1) of the Act, the owner-purchaser is responsible for ensuring that each verified meter being purchased is kept in good repair such that it is in compliance with the requirements of Regulations and all applicable Measurement Canada specifications.

6.2 In accordance with subsection 16(2) of the Act, the owner-purchaser of a meter shall retain records for each verified meter as prescribed in section 11 of the Regulations.

6.3 The owner-purchaser of a metering installation shall provide to the Director (i.e., President of Measurement Canada), the information referred to in subsection 11(5) of the Regulations. In practice, this obligation may be met by providing the information to Measurement Canada's local district office.

7.0 Legal obligations of contractor

Pursuant to subsection 2(3) of the Act, the legal provisions prescribed in the Act for meter owners shall also apply to contractors who intend to use or cause to use a meter for the purpose of obtaining a basis of a charge for electricity or gas supplied by them.

8.0 Frequently-asked questions

Following is clarification provided in response to frequently-asked questions regarding legal obligations for meter transfers:

8.1 May the owner-purchaser keep original nameplate information?

When ownership of a verified meter is transferred, original information on the meter nameplate (i.e., the abbreviation identifying the supplier and the inspection number alpha-numeric code) can remain unchanged at the discretion of the new owner. Where the owner-purchaser desires to change the nameplate information, they shall proceed in the manner directed in 8.3.

8.2 Will the transfer of meter ownership affect the validity of the seal on the meter?

A transfer of meter ownership does not affect seal validity as long as the owner-purchaser has a copy of the most recent certificate issued for the meter.

8.3 What requirements must be met if the original nameplate information is changed?

8.3.1 If the owner-purchaser decides to break the meter seal and change the nameplate information, the meter shall, in accordance with subsection 15(2) of the Act, be reverified and resealed before bein put into service.

8.3.2 The requirement in clause 8.3.1 does not apply to gas meters on which the meter's inspection number nameplate can be accessed and changed without breaking the meter seal, provided that the new owner of the meter makes and keeps a record of the change. Such a record shall list the following information, in addition to the information prescribed in section 11 of the Regulations:

  1. the meter's new inspection number;
  2. the meter's old inspection number;
  3. the meter's serial number;
  4. the meter's manufacturer and model, and rated input range(s) or capacity;
  5. the date on which the meter's inspection number nameplate information was changed;
  6. the identification number of the meter's most recent inspection certificate, and the date on which that certificate was issued; and
  7. the name and signature of the person who changed the nameplate information.

8.4 Is the owner-seller required to transfer inspection certificate and meter records to the owner-purchaser?

8.4.1 The owner-seller does not have any legal obligation under the Act and Regulations to transfer inspection certificates or meter records which pertain to the verified meters being sold. The transfer of these documents is a contract matter between the seller and purchaser parties and falls outside of Measurement Canada jurisdiction.

8.4.2 In the case where a owner-purchaser is not able to obtain an inspection certificate or meter records from the owner-seller, the owner-purchaser will need to subject the purchased meters to reverification in order to produce an inspection certificate or meter records containing the compliance status of the meter.