ERC drafts new rules on electric meter standards

The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has drafted rules for the adoption of new standards for meters used by electricity consumers.

ERC chairman Rodolfo B. Albano Jr. said the commission has started the conduct of public consultations on the new rules.

“It is high time for the electric power industry to have a Philippine National Standard (PNS) for electricity metering equipment to ensure safety, accuracy and reliability,” he said.

Albano said the proposed standard sets the requirements and parameters for meters and meter-related equipment to ensure their quality and protect the consumers.

He said the PNS adopted the ANSI (American National Standards Institute) and the IEC’s (International Electrotechnical Commission) standards with some revisions to make them applicable in the Philippine setting.  

Specifically, the ANSI contains the Code for Electricity Metering which establishes acceptable performance criteria for new types of AC watt-hour meters, demand meters, demand registers, pulse devices and auxiliary devices.

He said the ANSI also describes acceptable in-service performance levels for meters and devices used in revenue metering.

According to the ERC chief, US standards likewise include information on related subjects such as recommended measurement standards, installation requirements, test methods and test schedules.

“It also provides a reference for those concerned with electricity metering, such as utilities, manufacturers, and regulatory bodies,” he said. He noted that the IEC, on the other hand, covers type tests for electricity metering equipment for indoor and outdoor application, which apply to newly manufactured equipment designed to measure electrical energy.

Albano said the IEC also applies to electromechanical or static meters for indoor and outdoor application and to operation indicators and test outputs.

The ERC official said the PNS was jointly undertaken by ERC-BPS (Bureau of Product Standards) TC70, a technical committee created to develop the standard for electric watt-hour meters. It is composed of representatives from different stakeholders such as the academe, distribution utilities, consumers, suppliers and manufacturers, professional associations and government agencies.