The Meters (Certification) Order 1987

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

The Order supersedes and combines, with changes, the Meters (Permitted Alterations) Order 1958 and the Meters (Periods of Certification) Order 1982, both of which are revoked. It prescribes the periods after which the certification of certain classes of electricity meter under the provisions of the Schedule to the Electric Lighting (Clauses) Act 1899 (as incorporated in the Electricity Act 1947 and amended by the Energy Act 1983) shall cease to have effect. The periods (running in each case from the date of certification) are—

(1) for single-phase credit meters (as defined in article 2(1) of the Order): periods of 15 or 20 years (and in one case potentially a shorter period), depending on type of meter and date of certification;

(2) for alternating current static, prepayment, maximum demand and multi-rate meters: 10 or 15 years depending on type of meter; and

(3) for all other meters: 15 years.

The changes thus made comprise the omission of one entry (TM3b) and the inclusion of a new entry (eN(MCR)) in the list in Schedule 1, the addition of one entry (C11 B2—R) to the list in Schedule 2, and the inclusion of static meters in the definition of “specified meters”. The TM 3b meter is omitted because all such meters have ceased to be certified. The others were formerly covered by the final entries in the respective schedules.

In addition, four kinds of alteration not affecting the register of a certified meter, which were formerly permitted without the meter’s ceasing to be a certified meter, have been omitted. It is also provided that a certified meter may be moved only once, and then only in the first half of its period of certification, without thereby ceasing to be a certified meter.

The words “without an impulse device” have been omitted from the definition of “single-phase credit meter”.