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

Testing of meters

5.—(1) Subject to paragraph (3), where a meter has been submitted to the Director under regulation 4, a meter examiner shall carry out, or procure the carrying out of, such tests as he considers are necessary to determine whether the pattern or construction of the meter or the proposed manner of its installation is such that any meter of that pattern or construction or such a meter installed in that manner will be capable of accurately recording the quantity of electricity for which the meter is intended to operate.

(2) In carrying out his functions under paragraph (1), a meter examiner shall have due regard to any national, European or international technical standards relating to meters of that or a similar pattern or construction.

(3) A meter examiner shall not carry out, or procure the carrying out of, tests in accordance with paragraph (1) if he is satisfied that the pattern or construction or the manner of installation complies with any relevant European or international standard recognised for use in any EEA State or—

(a) an equivalent standard or code of practice of a national standards body or equivalent body of any EEA State;

(b) an equivalent technical specification acknowledged for use as a standard by a public authority of any EEA State; or

(c) customary procedures of manufacture of an EEA State where these are the subject of a written technical description sufficiently detailed to permit assessment of the meter for this purpose,

provided that a meter complying with sub-paragraph (a), (b) or (c) will be of an equivalent standard to a meter complying with the relevant European or international standard recognised for use in any EEA State.

(4) Any meter which a meter examiner is satisfied complies with the standards set out in paragraph (3) shall be deemed to be capable of accurately recording the quantity of electricity for which it is intended to operate.

(5) For the purpose of paragraph (3) a meter examiner shall take into account the results of the checks and tests carried out by the bodies and laboratories of other EEA States if those checks and tests conform with European Standard EN45001(1).

(6) In relation to any one or more of the tests which the meter examiner considers necessary, he may require the person applying for approval to procure the carrying out of specified tests at any premises approved by the Director for carrying out tests of the type specified.

(7) A test referred to in paragraph (6) shall, if the meter examiner so requires—

(a) not be carried out until the meters have been sealed by him for identification purpose; and

(b) be carried out in his presence,

and the meters shall on completion of the test be delivered to the meter examiner.

(8) A meter which has been submitted to the Director under regulation 4 shall not be repaired or modified by any person, other than by a meter examiner for the purpose of carrying out tests in accordance with this regulation, until a notification has been issued under regulation 6 or 7.

(1)

EN 45001 is a European Standard which is equivalent to BS 7501 (ISBN 0 580 17939 7), “General criteria for the operation of testing laboratories”, published by the British Standards Institution and having effect from 31st October 1989