Illinois Administrative Code › Title 83 - PUBLIC UTILITIES › Part 501 - STANDARDS OF SERVICE FOR GAS UTILITIES AND ALTERNATIVE GAS SUPPLIERS › Subpart B - NATURAL GAS MEASUREMENT REQUIREMENTS › Section 501.270 - Commission Referee Tests

Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 28, July 12, 2024
a) Subject to the
				provisions of subsection (b), a customer may not request a referee test of a meter
				used to measure the customer's gas consumption if the utility that provides service
				to the customer does not have the necessary testing equipment.
b) If a customer requests a referee test of the
				meter used to measure the customer's gas consumption, but the utility's testing
				facility is located out of state, the utility shall provide the option of having the
				meter tested at an in-state testing facility, provided the alternative location is
				in good standing with the Commission and the location is capable of testing the
				meter. A meter shop is in good standing if a Commission representative has conducted
				a review of the facility for compliance with the requirements of this Part within
				the last 40 months and the meter shop has no outstanding non-compliance issues
				associated with its ability to accurately measure meter accuracy. A Commission
				representative shall advise, upon request of a utility, if a meter shop is in good
				standing.
c) A utility shall conduct a
				referee test of a meter within 45 days after receiving notice from a Commission
				representative of a customer's request if the meter testing facility that the
				utility uses to conduct the test is located in-state. The utility shall conduct the
				meter test between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays, at a
				date and time agreed upon by the utility, the customer and the Commission
				representative, unless the utility, the customer and the Commission representative
				agree to a different day or time.
d) A
				utility shall conduct a referee test of a meter within 90 days after receiving
				notice from a Commission representative of a customer's request if the meter testing
				facility that the utility uses to conduct the test is located out of state and the
				customer requesting the referee test selects the out-of-state location, unless the
				customer agrees to a later time. The utility shall conduct the meter test between 7
				a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays, at a date and time agreed
				upon by the utility, the customer and the Commission representative, unless the
				utility, the customer and the Commission representative agree to a different day or
				time.
e) Upon written application to the
				Commission by a customer and upon notice to a utility by a Commission
				representative, a utility under the oversight of a Commission representative shall
				conduct an accuracy test of a meter that was the subject of the written request,
				provided the customer has not requested a meter accuracy test under this Section or
				under Section
				501.260 in the 12 months
				prior to the request. A customer shall make a written request for a meter test and
				pay a fee, as provided in this subsection, to the Commission. A utility shall inform
				the customer or a Commission representative, upon request, of the size and type of
				meter used to serve the customer. If the accuracy test indicates that the meter
				over-registers by more than 2.0 %, the utility shall refund the fee to the customer.
SCHEDULE OF FEES
Rated capacities in cubic feet per hour
Fee
Diaphragm meters up to 650
$40
Diaphragm meters from 651 to 1,500
$80
Diaphragm meters in excess of 1,500
$120
Rotary meters up to 1,500
$40
Rotary meters from 1,501 to 12,000
$80
Rotary meters from in excess of 12,000
$120
Turbine meter tested in utility shop at atmospheric
							 pressure
$120
Metering types not listed but tested in utility
							 shop
$120
f) If a
				customer is required to pay the costs of a meter test under Section
				501.260 because of the
				type or size of the meter, the customer must pay the utility the same costs under
				this Section, in addition to the fee to the Commission under subsection
				(e).
g) Upon notice of a referee test
				from a Commission representative, a utility shall not disturb the meter that was the
				subject of the written referee test request in any manner, unless a Commission
				representative or the customer provides authorization. The utility shall document
				the authorization by recording the name of the person giving the authorization and
				the date and time of the authorization. The utility shall provide this authorization
				documentation to the Commission representative at the time of the referee
				test.
h) When a utility removes a meter
				for purposes of a referee test, the utility or Commission representative shall
				deliver the meter to the utility's meter testing facility, and the utility shall
				secure the meter to prevent potential tampering or disturbance from in-service
				conditions until the referee test begins.
i) A utility shall waive the 12-month waiting
				period identified in subsection (e) for Commission referee tests if a customer makes
				one of the following demonstrations:
1) A
				deviation in the customer's measured gas usage in excess of 10% occurred following
				the utility's installation of a different meter on the customer's service and the
				difference is not attributable to weather or the customer's process changes;
				or
2) Relevant facts that point to
				potential accuracy problems with the meter.