Meters (Approval of Pattern or Construction and Manner of Installation) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations.)

These Regulations set out the procedure for obtaining approval of the pattern or construction and manner of installation of meters other than meters deemed to be approved under the Measuring Instruments (EC Requirements)(Electrical Energy Meters) Regulations 1995, S.I. 1995/2607, 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 being of an approved pattern or construction or as installed in an approved manner and regulation 4 sets out the procedure for obtaining approval. Regulation 5 prescribes the procedures to be followed by meters examiners when assessing meters submitted for approval.

Regulations 6 and 7 provide for notification of refusal or approval of an application and regulation 8 deals with modifications of meters. Regulation 9 provides for revocation of approvals. Regulation 10 provides for fees payable in relation to an application for approval and an application for the renewal of an approval.

These Regulations were notified in draft to the European Commission in accordance with Council Directive 83/189/EEC (O.J. No. L109, 26.4.83, p.8) (as amended by Council Directive 88/182/EEC (O.J. No. L81, 26.3.88, p.75) and Council Directive 94/10/EC (O.J. No. L100, 19.4.94, p. 100)).

In Great Britain the corresponding Regulations are the Meters (Approval of Pattern or Construction and Manner of Installation) Regulations 1998(1). The Director General of Electricity Supply has prepared a compliance cost assessment in relation to those Regulations and a copy of that assessment together with the Northern Ireland Supplement prepared by the Director General of Electricity Supply for Northern Ireland are held at OFREG, Brookmount Buildings, 42 Fountain Street, Belfast BT1 5EE, from where copies may be obtained on request.

Copies of European Standard EN 45001 (referred to in regulation 5(5))may be obtained from the British Standards Institution at 389 Chiswick High Road, London W4 4AL. Attention is drawn to the provisions of the Measuring Instruments (EC Requirements) (Electrical Energy Meters) Regulations 1995, the effect of which is to ensure that, for the purposes of Schedule 7 to the Electricity (Northern Ireland) Order 1992, instruments bearing the mark of EC pattern approval are also deemed to be approved.

(1)

S.I. 1998/1565