reglab/statecodes huggingface dataset:
North Dakota Administrative Code › Title 69 - Public Service Commission › Article 69-09 - Public Utility Division › Chapter 69-09-01 - Standards of Service - Gas › Section 69-09-01-30 - Automatic adjustment clauses

Current through Supplement No. 393, July, 2024
1. As
				used in this section, the term "automatic adjustment clause" means a tariff
				provision that provides for increases or decreases, or both, without prior
				hearing, in rates reflecting increases or decreases, or both, in gas supply
				costs incurred by a natural gas utility.
2. An automatic adjustment clause that does
				not conform to principles set out in this section may not be in the public
				interest. This section contemplates that the filing of a proposed tariff which
				includes a nonconforming automatic adjustment clause may result in suspension
				of all or part of the tariff.
3.
				The automatic adjustment clause must be in a form that provides for periodic
				adjustments per unit of sales equal to the difference between gas supply costs
				per unit of sales included in base rate schedules and gas supply unit of sales
				projected for the adjustment period.
4. Gas supply costs included under the
				adjustment clause must be set forth tariff approved by the commission.
5. The utility shall maintain a
				balancing account in which the difference between the actual gas supply cost
				and the amount collected through the adjustment clause is recorded. The
				balancing account must accrue interest monthly at a rate equal to the
				three-month treasury bill rate as published monthly by the federal reserve
				board.
6. An automatic adjustment
				clause must include a balancing surcharge, which must be recalculated at least
				annually. The amount of the surcharge must equal the amount in the balancing
				account at the time of the proposed change that results from the recalculation
				divided by projected weather normalized sales volumes for the following twelve
				months.
7. Notice of change in the
				adjustment must be filed with the commission prior to billing. The notice must
				include:
a. Workpapers calculating the
				adjustment;
b. Copies of
				applicable pipeline tariffs and an explanation of regulatory approval status;
c. A history of the balancing
				account since the last surcharge update; and
d. To the extent possible, an explanation of
				market and other factors causing the change.
North Dakota Administrative Code › Title 69 - Public Service Commission › Article 69-09 - Public Utility Division › Chapter 69-09-02 - Standards of Service - Electric › Section 69-09-02-01 - Rates and regulations to be filed

Current through Supplement No. 393, July, 2024
1. Schedules of rates and charges for the
				furnishing of electric service, and rules and regulations pertaining thereto,
				shall be filed with the commission by each utility. The provisions thereof
				shall be definite and so stated as to minimize ambiguity or the possibility of
				misinterpretation. The rate schedules, or the rules and regulations, shall
				include, together with such other information as may be deemed pertinent, the
				following:
a. The class of customers to which
				each rate applies. There shall also be shown any limitation on loads and type
				of equipment which may be connected, the price per unit of service, and the
				number of units per billing period to which the prices apply, the period of
				billing, the minimum bill, the method of measuring demands including method of
				calculating or estimating loads or minimums, definition of service
				classification and other terms used in the schedule, and any special terms and
				conditions applicable. The discount for prompt payment or penalty for late
				payment, if any, the period, if any, during which the net amount must be paid,
				and the date when bills become delinquent, shall be specified.
b. The nominal voltage at which service will
				be supplied and the type of service available (direct current, single or
				polyphase alternating current).
c.
				A list of cities and unincorporated communities where rates are applicable. If
				the utility has various rural rates, the areas where the rural rates are
				available shall be indicated.
d. A
				specification of such portion of service connection facilities as the utility
				furnishes, owns, and maintains, such as service drop, metering equipment,
				utilization control equipment, etc.
e. A statement of the type of special
				construction commonly requested by customers which the utility allows to be
				connected, e.g., underground service, and the terms and conditions upon which
				such construction will be permitted.
f. The regulations with which prospective
				customers must comply as a condition of receiving service, and the terms of any
				agreements required.
g. The
				regulations governing the establishment of credit, and the making of deposits,
				by customers to ensure payment for electric service.
h. The notice to the utility by a customer
				required to have service discontinued.
i. The regulations covering the furnishing of
				temporary, emergency, auxiliary, and standby service.
j. The regulations covering requirements for
				the installation of special facilities, such as demand-limiting devices or
				power factor corrective equipment.
k. The regulations governing the location of
				metering equipment, or other company equipment, and the connection of
				utilization equipment requiring special controls.
North Dakota Administrative Code › Title 69 - Public Service Commission › Article 69-09 - Public Utility Division › Chapter 69-09-02 - Standards of Service - Electric › Section 69-09-02-02.1 - Information to customers

Current through Supplement No. 393, July, 2024
A utility shall:
1.
				Keep copies of its rate schedules, rules, and regulations on file in every
				office where payments are received.
2. Send a statement to each customer
				containing a clear and concise explanation of the existing rate schedule, and
				any rate schedule applied for, that is applicable to that customer.
a. The statement shall be sent:
(1) Not later than sixty days after the date
				of commencement of service to the customer; and
(2) Not later than thirty days after filing
				an increase in a rate schedule applicable to such customer. The statement must
				include for each of the major classes of customers for which there is a
				separate rate, a summary analysis which shows the economic impact of the
				proposed rate change and rate design changes, if any, for an average customer
				within a class based upon an average annual consumption and a statement that
				the rates applied for are proposed only and that, if the rates are suspended by
				the commission, the new rates will not be effective until commission action has
				been taken; and
(3) As required by
				the commission under section
				69-02-04-01.
North Dakota Administrative Code › Title 69 - Public Service Commission › Article 69-09 - Public Utility Division › Chapter 69-09-02 - Standards of Service - Electric › Section 69-09-02-03 - Service connections

Current through Supplement No. 393, July, 2024
1. A
				utility shall not connect a customer for electric service until the customer
				has obtained all necessary permits from the proper authorities. Service may be
				denied to any customer for failure to comply with the applicable requirements
				of this chapter or with the service regulations of the utility on file with the
				commission.
2. A utility may
				require a customer to sign an application for electric service, and to make a
				deposit to ensure payment therefore, before making a service
				connection.
General Authority:
NDCC
					 49-02-11
Law Implemented:
NDCC
					 49-02-11
North Dakota Administrative Code › Title 69 - Public Service Commission › Article 69-09 - Public Utility Division › Chapter 69-09-02 - Standards of Service - Electric › Section 69-09-02-04 - Deposits and guarantees

Current through Supplement No. 393, July, 2024
1. An electric
				utility may require an applicant for service to make a deposit sufficient to
				cover the estimated charge for furnishing service to the customer for a
				sixty-day period. A receipt showing the amount of the deposit, the date the
				deposit was made, and the depositor's name shall be issued to the depositor.
				Each utility shall keep a deposit record showing the same information as shown
				on the depositor's receipt, and shall provide a method of repayment in case the
				depositor's receipt has become lost or destroyed.
2. The utility shall each year pay interest
				on such deposit at the rate paid by the Bank of North Dakota on a six-month
				certificate of deposit. Such rate will be determined as of the first business
				day of each year, on a six-month certificate of deposit with the smallest
				deposit required. The interest may be paid to the depositor, or may be deducted
				from the depositor's indebtedness to the utility for electric service. The
				payment or deduction for interest must be made during each calendar year, or
				whenever a deposit is refunded or service discontinued.
3. The utility may accept in lieu of a cash
				deposit a contract signed by a guarantor, satisfactory to the utility, whereby
				the payment of a specified sum not to exceed the required cash deposit is
				guaranteed. The term of such contract must be indeterminate, but it must
				automatically terminate when the customer gives notice of service
				discontinuance to the utility or a change in location covered by the guarantee
				agreement or thirty days after written request for termination is made to the
				utility by the guarantor. However, no agreement may be terminated without the
				customer having made satisfactory settlement for any balance which the customer
				owes the utility. Upon termination of a guarantee contract a new contract or a
				cash deposit may be required by the utility.
General Authority:
NDCC
					 49-02-11
Law Implemented:
NDCC
					 49-02-11
North Dakota Administrative Code › Title 69 - Public Service Commission › Article 69-09 - Public Utility Division › Chapter 69-09-02 - Standards of Service - Electric › Section 69-09-02-05.1 - Discontinuance of electric service

Current through Supplement No. 393, July, 2024
1. A utility may
				disconnect service if the customer is delinquent in payment for services
				rendered. However, no utility shall discontinue service to a customer for
				failure to pay for such service until the utility shall first have given the
				customer notice of its intention to discontinue such service on account of
				delinquency. The notice shall:
a. Be sent by
				first-class mail addressed to the customer at the place where service is
				rendered, except that in the case of residential customers sixty-five years of
				age or older, or for handicapped customers, personal notice by delivery is
				required. A copy of each notice must also be mailed to the nearest social
				service office and to any other appropriate financial assistance agency,
				providing that prior approval has been given by the customer pursuant to
				subsection 2.
b. Show the amount of
				the delinquency.
c. Include the
				telephone number of the public service commission.
d. Advise the customer of the customer's
				rights and remedies, including, but not limited to, the right of the customer
				to stay termination for up to thirty days if the customer advises the utility
				within the ten-day notice period that dangerous health conditions exist or that
				the customer is sixty-five years of age or older or that the customer is
				handicapped. In addition, the notice shall advise the customer of the
				customer's right to work out a satisfactory deferred installment agreement for
				delinquent accounts and of the opportunity to enter into equal monthly payment
				plans for future service.
e. Inform
				the customer that service will be discontinued if the delinquent account is not
				paid within ten calendar days from the date of mailing or personal delivery of
				the notice, or if a satisfactory installment agreement is not made with the
				utility for payment of the delinquent bill.
If the customer elects to enter into a deferred installment
				  agreement for delinquent accounts, service may not be terminated; however, the
				  utility may discontinue service without further notice if the customer fails to
				  pay the delinquent account on or before the date specified in the notice, or in
				  accordance with the deferred installment agreement. The customer shall have the
				  privilege of paying the delinquent account at any time prior to the actual
				  disconnection of service, and the person directed by the utility to make the
				  disconnection shall be deemed authorized and shall accept payment of the
				  delinquent account if tendered to the person by the customer before actual
				  disconnection of service is made.
North Dakota Administrative Code › Title 69 - Public Service Commission › Article 69-09 - Public Utility Division › Chapter 69-09-02 - Standards of Service - Electric › Section 69-09-02-06 - Continuity of service

Current through Supplement No. 393, July, 2024
1. An
				electric public utility is responsible for ensuring reliable service.
2. Each utility shall make every reasonable
				effort to prevent interruptions of service, and when such interruptions occur
				shall endeavor to reestablish service within the shortest possible time.
				Whenever the service is necessarily interrupted or curtailed for the purpose of
				working on equipment, it shall be done at a time which, if at all practicable,
				will cause the least inconvenience to customers, except in cases of
				emergency.
3. Each utility shall
				keep a record of all interruptions to service affecting the entire distribution
				system of any single community or an important division of a community, and
				include in the record the date and time of interruption, the date and time
				service was restored, and, if known, the cause of each interruption. Service
				interruption records shall be kept for a period of six years.
4. If an electric public utility fails to
				meet its obligation to provide reliable service to customers, the commission
				may require action, assess disallowances or fines, or provide a penalty. A
				penalty, disallowance or fine, or action must take into consideration the
				nature, circumstances. and gravity of the violation, degree of culpability,
				history of prior service interruptions, and good faith attempts to ensure
				reliability.
5. By May first each
				year, each electric public utility shall file with the commission the records
				required by this section. The commission, at any time, upon notice to the
				electric public utility, may require a filing of the records required by this
				section for a specified time period or specific interruption.
6. Each electric public utility shall include
				in its annual May first filing, reliability statistics for the previous
				calendar year, including institute of electrical and electronics engineers
				standard 1366 indices system average interruption frequency index, system
				average interruption duration index, customer average interruption duration
				index. Each utility shall include with this filing the datapoints used to
				calculate each of the above indices and a detailed breakdown of each major
				event day. These statistics must be compiled by each electric public utility
				for its North Dakota distribution system.
General Authority:
NDCC 49-02-11
Law Implemented:
NDCC
					 49-02-11
North Dakota Administrative Code › Title 69 - Public Service Commission › Article 69-09 - Public Utility Division › Chapter 69-09-02 - Standards of Service - Electric › Section 69-09-02-07 - Extension of service

Current through Supplement No. 393, July, 2024
1. It
				shall be the obligation of each utility to make reasonable extensions of its
				lines and services to new customers within any area in which it is authorized
				to serve.
2. Each utility shall
				file with the commission its rules for extending service to new customers, and
				shall file any changes in the rules which may be made from time to
				time.
3. If the utility does not
				consider that an extension within its service area is justified, the
				commission, upon request of one or more prospective customers to be served by
				the extension, may set the matter for public hearing to determine if the
				extension should be made, and the terms and conditions thereof.
General Authority:
NDCC
					 49-02-11
Law Implemented:
NDCC
					 49-02-11
North Dakota Administrative Code › Title 69 - Public Service Commission › Article 69-09 - Public Utility Division › Chapter 69-09-02 - Standards of Service - Electric › Section 69-09-02-08 - Temporary service

Current through Supplement No. 393, July, 2024
1. Temporary
				service is defined as service to circuses, carnivals, traveling shows,
				construction projects, and all other purposes which from their very nature
				evidently will be of short duration.
2. A customer taking temporary service shall
				pay the regular rates applicable to the class or classes of service rendered
				for all energy used, and, in addition, shall pay the installation and removal
				cost, less salvage value, of facilities installed by the utility to furnish
				temporary service to the customer.
3. The utility may require the customer to
				make an advance deposit sufficient to cover the estimated cost of furnishing
				temporary service.
General Authority:
NDCC
					 49-02-11
Law Implemented:
NDCC
					 49-02-11
North Dakota Administrative Code › Title 69 - Public Service Commission › Article 69-09 - Public Utility Division › Chapter 69-09-02 - Standards of Service - Electric › Section 69-09-02-09 - Customer complaints

Current through Supplement No. 393, July, 2024
Each utility shall promptly investigate and keep a record of
				  written complaints received from its customers in regard to safety, service, or
				  operation of its system. The record shall show the name and address of the
				  complainant, the date and nature of the complaint, and its disposition and the
				  date thereof. The complaint records shall be kept for a period of three
				  years.
General Authority:
NDCC
					 49-02-11
Law Implemented:
NDCC
					 49-02-11
North Dakota Administrative Code › Title 69 - Public Service Commission › Article 69-09 - Public Utility Division › Chapter 69-09-02 - Standards of Service - Electric › Section 69-09-02-10 - Meter readings

Current through Supplement No. 393, July, 2024
1. Readings of all
				meters used for determining charges to customers shall be made each month. The
				term "month" means the period between any two consecutive regular meter reading
				dates, which shall be as nearly as practicable at thirty-day intervals. The
				meter reading date may be advanced or postponed not more than five days without
				adjustment of the billing for the period.
2. The utility may read meters used for
				determining charges to customers less frequently than once each month provided
				authorization thereof is obtained from the commission.
3. The utility may obtain the meter readings
				on a form supplied to the customer provided a utility representative reads the
				meter at least once each three months, and when there is a change of occupancy
				of the premises, unless otherwise authorized by the commission.
4. Records of all meter readings shall be
				maintained for a period of six years.
General Authority:
NDCC
					 49-02-11
Law Implemented:
NDCC
					 49-02-11
North Dakota Administrative Code › Title 69 - Public Service Commission › Article 69-09 - Public Utility Division › Chapter 69-09-02 - Standards of Service - Electric › Section 69-09-02-11 - Billing

Current through Supplement No. 393, July, 2024
1. Bills for
				electric service shall be rendered monthly, unless otherwise authorized by the
				commission, or unless service is rendered for a period of less than a month.
				The term "month" as used for billing purposes means the period between any two
				consecutive regular meter reading dates, which shall be as nearly as
				practicable at thirty-day intervals. Bills shall be prorated for periods of
				less than one month when service is begun or terminated between regular meter
				reading dates. Bills shall be prorated for a fraction of a month on a daily
				basis, unless a different basis for proration of bills for fractions of a month
				is provided in the utility's service regulations on file with the
				commission.
2. Each bill shall show
				the present meter reading; the date of the present meter reading; the number of
				kilowatt hours consumed; the demand, if used for billing purposes; the date or
				time when the bill is due; the gross and net amounts of the bill and the date
				or time after which the gross amount must be paid, or the net amount of the
				bill and the date or time after which the penalty applies and the amount
				thereof; and identity of the class of service or rate schedule under which the
				bill is computed. Estimated bills and prorated bills shall be distinctly marked
				as such.
3. The utility may, if it
				is unable to obtain a meter reading, bill the customer on an estimated
				consumption. The basis for the estimate shall be the normal consumption for a
				corresponding period during the preceding year, or average consumption during
				the three preceding months.
4. If
				the period between meter readings is more than one month, the bill for the
				entire period may be computed on the assumption of uniform monthly use of
				service during the entire period. However, if estimated monthly bills have been
				rendered during the period and the customer does not object thereto, bills for
				the interim period between meter readings need not be recomputed. If the
				customer objects to an estimated bill, or to a bill based on uniform monthly
				use, and presents reasonable evidence of zero consumption, or of material
				variation in consumption, during one or more months of the interim billing
				period, the bill shall be recomputed on the basis of actual use during each
				month.
5. Bills for service shall
				be rendered within thirty days from the present meter reading date. A record of
				all bills for electric service rendered to customers shall be maintained for a
				period of six years.
General Authority:
NDCC 49-02-11Law
Implemented:
NDCC
					 49-02-11
North Dakota Administrative Code › Title 69 - Public Service Commission › Article 69-09 - Public Utility Division › Chapter 69-09-02 - Standards of Service - Electric › Section 69-09-02-12 - Adjustment of bill for meter errors

Current through Supplement No. 393, July, 2024
1. Whenever a watt-hour meter is found upon a
				test made at the request of the customer to have an average error of more than
				two percent, or a demand meter is found to have an error of more than the
				allowable limits specified in these rules, an adjustment of bills for service
				shall be made. The amount of the adjustment shall be calculated on the basis
				that the metering equipment should be one hundred percent accurate. The utility
				shall refund to the customer any excess charges for incorrectly metered
				electric service for a period equal to one-half the time elapsed since the last
				previous meter test, but not to exceed six months. The utility may charge the
				customer for any deficiency in billing for incorrectly metered electric service
				for a period equal to one-half the time elapsed since the last previous meter
				test, but not to exceed six months. Adjustments shall be based on actual
				monthly consumptions.
Errors in meter registrations due to "creep" shall be
				  calculated by timing the rate of "creeping" and assuming that the "creeping"
				  affected the meter registration for one-half the time elapsed since the last
				  previous meter test, but not to exceed six months.
2. When the average meter error cannot be
				determined by test because of failure of part or all of the metering equipment,
				it shall be permissible to use the registration of check metering
				installations, if any, or to estimate the quantity of energy used on all
				available data. The customer shall be advised of the metering equipment
				failure, and of the basis for the estimated bill. Any adjustment because of
				failure of metering equipment shall be from the date of the metering equipment
				failure, if known; or if not known, for a period equal to one-half the time
				elapsed since the last previous meter test, but not to exceed six
				months.
General Authority:
NDCC 49-02-11Law
Implemented:
NDCC
					 49-02-11
North Dakota Administrative Code › Title 69 - Public Service Commission › Article 69-09 - Public Utility Division › Chapter 69-09-02 - Standards of Service - Electric › Section 69-09-02-13 - Refunds and deficiency billings

Current through Supplement No. 393, July, 2024
Application for refund of any payment to a utility claimed to
				  be in excess of established rates schedules, or rules and regulations
				  pertaining thereto, shall be made within six years from the date of payment. A
				  utility may not retroactively bill a customer a deficiency charge for service
				  rendered more than six years prior to the date of the bill.
General Authority:
NDCC
					 49-02-11
Law Implemented:
NDCC
					 49-02-11
North Dakota Administrative Code › Title 69 - Public Service Commission › Article 69-09 - Public Utility Division › Chapter 69-09-02 - Standards of Service - Electric › Section 69-09-02-14 - Classification of service

Current through Supplement No. 393, July, 2024
1. Residential
				service is defined as service for general household purposes in space occupied
				as living quarters, such as single private residences, single apartments,
				fraternity houses and sorority houses, and for garages, or other auxiliary
				buildings on the same premises used by the residential customer.
2. Commercial service is defined as service
				to a business enterprise in space occupied and operated for commercial
				purposes, such as stores, offices, shops, hotels, garages, wholesale houses,
				filling stations, barber shops, beauty shops, and any other space occupied for
				commercial purposes.
A business enterprise operated by an individual, a
				  partnership, or a corporation, may include more than one type of business
				  activity at the same location.
A landlord renting space to separate business enterprises in
				  the same building may take electric service through a single meter on the
				  commercial service rate provided electric service is furnished for occupants of
				  the building as part of the rent, subject, however, to the provisions
				  restricting master meters contained in section
				  69-09-02-37.
If a single business enterprise occupies more than one unit
				  of space in the conduct of the same business, each separate unit will be
				  metered individually and considered a separate service unless the customer
				  makes provision for the necessary circuits to connect the separate units to
				  permit the use of a single meter.
3. A customer occupying a building for
				residential and commercial purposes jointly may combine the customer's
				residential and commercial use on the applicable commercial service
				rate.
4. Other classes of electric
				service furnished by the utility shall be defined in applicable rate schedules,
				or in rules and regulations pertaining thereto. Service to customers for which
				no specific rate schedule is applicable shall be billed on the commercial or
				general service rate.
General Authority:
NDCC
					 49-02-11
Law Implemented:
NDCC
					 49-02-11
North Dakota Administrative Code › Title 69 - Public Service Commission › Article 69-09 - Public Utility Division › Chapter 69-09-02 - Standards of Service - Electric › Section 69-09-02-15 - Resale and submetering

Current through Supplement No. 393, July, 2024
Electric service furnished by a public utility under
				  established rate schedules shall not be resold or submetered by a customer
				  unless the rate schedule under which the customer receives service specifically
				  so provides.
General Authority:
NDCC
					 49-02-11
Law Implemented:
NDCC
					 49-02-11
North Dakota Administrative Code › Title 69 - Public Service Commission › Article 69-09 - Public Utility Division › Chapter 69-09-02 - Standards of Service - Electric › Section 69-09-02-16 - Measuring customer service

Current through Supplement No. 393, July, 2024
1. All
				electrical energy sold to customers shall be measured by commercially
				acceptable measuring devices owned and maintained by the utility, except where
				it is impracticable to meter loads, such as multiple streetlighting, or
				temporary or special installations, in which case the consumption may be
				estimated. Every reasonable effort shall be made to measure at one point all
				electrical quantities necessary for billing a customer under a given
				rate.
2. All electric service to
				the same class of customers rendered under the same rate schedule shall be
				metered with instruments having generally similar characteristics.
General Authority:
NDCC
					 49-02-11
Law Implemented:
NDCC
					 49-02-11
North Dakota Administrative Code › Title 69 - Public Service Commission › Article 69-09 - Public Utility Division › Chapter 69-09-02 - Standards of Service - Electric › Section 69-09-02-17 - Standard frequency

Current through Supplement No. 393, July, 2024
1. Each utility
				furnishing alternating current service shall adopt a standard service frequency
				for its system.
2. Under normal
				operating conditions the utility shall maintain a frequency of not more than
				plus or minus three percent of standard frequency.
3. Variations in frequency in excess of those
				specified herein caused by service interruptions, the action of the elements,
				temporary separation of parts of the system, or other causes beyond the control
				of the utility shall not be considered violations of this section.
General Authority:
NDCC
					 49-02-11
Law Implemented:
NDCC
					 49-02-11
North Dakota Administrative Code › Title 69 - Public Service Commission › Article 69-09 - Public Utility Division › Chapter 69-09-02 - Standards of Service - Electric › Section 69-09-02-18 - Standard voltage and allowable variation

Current through Supplement No. 393, July, 2024
1. Each utility furnishing electric service
				shall adopt a standard nominal voltage, or voltages, as may be required by the
				design of its distribution system for its entire constant voltage service area
				or for each of the several districts into which the distribution system, or
				systems, may be divided. The voltage maintained at the utility's service
				terminals as installed for each customer shall be reasonably constant with a
				variation in voltage at any time of not more than seven percent above or below
				nominal voltage. A utility may furnish electric service to a particular
				customer, or to a group of customers at a specific location on its system under
				conditions of voltage variation greater than sever percent if approval thereof
				is obtained from the commission.
2.
				Variations in voltage in excess of those specified herein caused by service
				interruptions, the action of the elements, temporary separatior of parts of the
				utility's system, infrequent and unavoidable fluctuations of short duration, or
				other causes beyond the control of the utility shal not be considered a
				violation of this section.
General Authority:
NDCC
					 49-02-11
Law Implemented:
NDCC
					 49-02-11
North Dakota Administrative Code › Title 69 - Public Service Commission › Article 69-09 - Public Utility Division › Chapter 69-09-02 - Standards of Service - Electric › Section 69-09-02-19 - Voltage measurement and voltage records

Current through Supplement No. 393, July, 2024
1. Each utility
				shall employ at least one portable indicating voltmeter, and at least one
				device capable of producing recorded voltage measurements in continuous service
				at the plant, office, or on a customer's premises. Each utility shall make a
				sufficient number of voltage measurements to indicate the character of the
				service furnished to its customers and to satisfy the commission, upon request,
				of its compliance with established voltage requirements. All voltage
				measurement records shall be available for inspection by the commission for a
				period of one year.
2. Each
				recording voltmeter shall be checked with an indicating voltmeter when it is
				placed in operation and when it is removed, or periodically if the instrument
				is in a permanent location.
General Authority:
NDCC
					 49-02-11
Law Implemented:
NDCC
					 49-02-11
North Dakota Administrative Code › Title 69 - Public Service Commission › Article 69-09 - Public Utility Division › Chapter 69-09-02 - Standards of Service - Electric › Section 69-09-02-20 - Accuracy of portable indicating instruments

Current through Supplement No. 393, July, 2024
All portable indicating electrical instruments used for
				  determining quality of service to customers or for billing purposes, such as
				  voltmeters, ammeters, and wattmeters, shall be checked against suitable
				  secondary reference standards at least once in each twelve months. If the
				  portable indicating instrument is found appreciably in error at zero, or in
				  error by more than two percent of indication at full scale deflection, it shall
				  be adjusted to indicate correctly.
General Authority:
NDCC
					 49-02-11
Law Implemented:
NDCC
					 49-02-11
North Dakota Administrative Code › Title 69 - Public Service Commission › Article 69-09 - Public Utility Division › Chapter 69-09-02 - Standards of Service - Electric › Section 69-09-02-21 - Accuracy of watt-hour meters

Current through Supplement No. 393, July, 2024
Watt-hour meters used for measuring electrical energy
				  furnished to customers shall:
1. Be of
				proper design for the circuit on which they are used, be in good mechanical
				condition, and shall register correctly.
2. Not creep at "no load". A meter shall be
				considered to creep when the load wires are disconnected, and potential is
				impressed, if the disk makes more than one full revolution in five minutes or
				less.
3. Be accurate, when used on
				alternating current circuits, to within plus or minus two percent, at unity
				power factor, on light load (ten percent of meter reading) and on full load
				(one hundred percent of meter rating); and to within plus or minus three
				percent, at fifty percent lagging power factor, on full load (one hundred
				percent of meter rating).
4. Be
				accurate, when used on direct current circuits, to within plus or minus two
				percent on light load (ten percent of meter rating) and on full load (one
				hundred percent of meter reading).
5. If polyphase meters, have their elements
				in balance within two percent of full load (one hundred percent of meter
				rating) at unity power factor, and at fifty percent lagging power
				factor.
6. If used in conjunction
				with instrument transformers, for which laboratory test records are available,
				be adjusted so that the overall accuracy of the metering installation will meet
				the requirements of this section.
General Authority:
NDCC
					 49-02-11
Law Implemented:
NDCC
					 49-02-11
North Dakota Administrative Code › Title 69 - Public Service Commission › Article 69-09 - Public Utility Division › Chapter 69-09-02 - Standards of Service - Electric › Section 69-09-02-22 - Accuracy of demand meters

Current through Supplement No. 393, July, 2024
Demand meters, demand registers, or demand attachments used
				  to measure electric service to customers shall: be in good mechanical and
				  electrical condition; have proper constants, indicating scale, contact device,
				  and resetting device; not register at no load; and be accurate within the
				  following limits:
1. Curve-drawing
				meters which record quantity-time curves, and integrated-demand meters, shall
				be accurate to within plus or minus two percent of full scale deflection
				throughout their working range. Timing elements measuring specific demand
				intervals shall be accurate to within plus or minus two percent, and the timing
				element which serves to provide a record of the time of day when the demand
				occurs shall be accurate to within plus or minus four minutes in twenty-four
				hours.
2. Lagging-demand meters
				shall be accurate to within plus or minus four percent of full scale
				deflection.
General Authority:
NDCC
					 49-02-11
Law Implemented:
NDCC
					 49-02-11
North Dakota Administrative Code › Title 69 - Public Service Commission › Article 69-09 - Public Utility Division › Chapter 69-09-02 - Standards of Service - Electric › Section 69-09-02-23 - Multipliers and test constants

Current through Supplement No. 393, July, 2024
1.
				Meters which are not direct reading, and meters operating from instrument
				transformers, shall have the multiplier plainly marked on the dial of the
				instrument or other suitable location, and all charts taken from recording
				meters shall be marked with the date of the record, the meter number, the
				customer, and the chart multiplier.
2. The register ratio shall be marked on all
				meter registers. The watt-hour constant for the meter itself shall be shown on
				all watt-hour meters.
General Authority:
NDCC
					 49-02-11
Law Implemented:
NDCC
					 49-02-11
North Dakota Administrative Code › Title 69 - Public Service Commission › Article 69-09 - Public Utility Division › Chapter 69-09-02 - Standards of Service - Electric › Section 69-09-02-24 - Instrument transformers

Current through Supplement No. 393, July, 2024
1.
				Instrument transformers used in conjunction with metering equipment to measure
				electric energy furnished to customers shall be in proper mechanical condition
				and shall have electrical insulation satisfactory for the service on which
				used.
2. The accuracy of current
				transformers shall comply with the requirements of American standards
				association accuracy class 1.2.
3.
				The accuracy of potential transformers shall comply with the requirements of
				American standards association accuracy class 0.6.
4. Instrument transformers for special
				installations may be tested in a laboratory before installation provided the
				last records are kept to aid in adjusting the meter used in conjunction with
				the transformer.
5. Current
				transformers shall be tested for short-circuited primary or secondary turns,
				high resistance connections, and proper wire connections whenever the metering
				installation is tested for accuracy.
6. The nameplate voltage ratio of potential
				transformers shall be checked whenever the metering installation is tested for
				accuracy.
General Authority:
NDCC
					 49-02-11
Law Implemented:
NDCC
					 49-02-11
North Dakota Administrative Code › Title 69 - Public Service Commission › Article 69-09 - Public Utility Division › Chapter 69-09-02 - Standards of Service - Electric › Section 69-09-02-26 - Meter testing

Current through Supplement No. 393, July, 2024
1. The testing of any unit of metering
				equipment shall consist of a comparison of its accuracy with a standard of
				known accuracy. Meters shall be adjusted as closely as practicable to the
				condition of zero error, and may be checked for accuracy at the point where
				they are installed, or at a central testing laboratory, or in a mobile testing
				laboratory.
2. All meters shall be
				tested for accuracy before initially placed in service. Metering equipment
				associated with instrument transformers shall be tested for accuracy on the
				customer's premises within sixty days after installation and whenever the
				instrument transformers are changed.
3. Meters shall be tested for accuracy at
				unity power factor, provided that polyphase meters shall also be checked for
				accuracy at fifty percent power factor whenever tested.
4. Watt-hour meters, and associated equipment
				such as demand measuring devices, shall be periodically tested for accuracy in
				accordance with a plan approved by the commission or the following
				schedule:
PERIODIC TEST SCHEDULE
Meter Description
To Be Tested At Least Once in Every
Alternating current meters: Up to and including twelve
							 kilovolt-amperes
120
months
Over twelve kilovolt-amperes up to and including one
							 hundred kilovolt-amperes
36
months
Over one hundred kilovolt-amperes Direct current
							 meters:
12
months
Up to and including six kilowatts
42
months
Over six kilowatts up to and including one hundred
							 kilowatts
18
months
Over one hundred kilowatts
12
months
The kilovolt-ampere rating of an alternating current,
				  single-element meter, or the kilowatt rating of a direct current meter, is the
				  product of the rated voltage and the rated current. In the case of polyphase or
				  multielement meters, the rating is the product of the rated voltage and the
				  rated current multiplied by the number of meter elements. When meters are
				  connected to and tested in conjunction with instrument transformers, the
				  nominal rating of the transformer shall be used in the determination of the
				  kilovolt-ampere rating of the metering equipment.
5. An electric service utility shall test the
				accuracy of any meter upon request of the customer, shall provide the customer
				with a report of the test results, and shall keep the complete original test
				record and a copy of the report on file in the utility's office.
6. A customer may request in writing to the
				commission that the utility's test be supervised by a commission
				representative.
7. The customer may
				not be charged for the test provided the customer requests no more than one
				test each twelve-month period, otherwise the utility may charge a tariffed
				rate. The charge must be waived if the meter error is more than plus or minus
				two percent.
General Authority:
NDCC
					 49-02-11
Law Implemented:
NDCC
					 49-02-11
North Dakota Administrative Code › Title 69 - Public Service Commission › Article 69-09 - Public Utility Division › Chapter 69-09-02 - Standards of Service - Electric › Section 69-09-02-27 - Determination of average meter error

Current through Supplement No. 393, July, 2024
Whenever a metering installation is found upon any test to be
				  in error by more than two percent at any test load, the average error shall be
				  determined as follows:
1. If the
				metering installation is used to measure a load which has practically constant
				characteristics, such as a streetlighting load, the meter shall be tested under
				similar conditions of load and the accuracy of the meter "as found" shall be
				considered as the average error.
2.
				If a single-phase, or direct current, metering installation is used on a
				varying load, the average error shall be the weighted algebraic average of the
				error at light load, with a weighting of one, and the error at heavy load, with
				a weighting of four.
3. If a
				polyphase metering installation is used on a varying load, the average error
				shall be the weighted algebraic average of the error at light load (unity power
				factor) with a weighting of one, the error at heavy load (unity power factor)
				with a weighting of four, and the error at heavy load (fifty percent lagging
				power factor) with a weighting of two.
General Authority:
NDCC
					 49-02-11
Law Implemented:
NDCC
					 49-02-11
North Dakota Administrative Code › Title 69 - Public Service Commission › Article 69-09 - Public Utility Division › Chapter 69-09-02 - Standards of Service - Electric › Section 69-09-02-28 - Meter records

Current through Supplement No. 393, July, 2024
1. Each utility
				shall keep a history record of each unit of metering equipment used for
				measuring service to customers showing date of purchase; utility's
				identification number; essential nameplate data; associated equipment, if any;
				dates of tests; results of all "as found" and "as left" tests; and locations
				where installed together with dates of installation and removal. A utility may
				keep separate records at different locations on its system for each unit of
				metering equipment in lieu of a history record provided that said records
				include all data required on a history record and that the two most recent
				tests records are retained. Only the most recent test record need be kept if a
				complete history record is maintained.
2. A test record shall be made whenever a
				unit of metering equipment is tested. The test record shall show the utility's
				identification number; nameplate data; location of the unit; equipment with
				which the device is associated; date of test; reason for test; register
				readings before and after the test; a statement as to whether the meter
				"creeps", and in case of creeping, the rate; a statement of "as found" and "as
				left" accuracies sufficiently complete to permit checking of the calculations;
				an indication that all required checks have been made; a statement of repairs
				made, if any; identification of test standard used; and name of person making
				the test.
3. Each utility shall
				file with the commission annually a summary report of all meter tests made
				during the year on forms to be supplied by the commission.
General Authority:
NDCC
					 49-02-11
Law Implemented:
NDCC
					 49-02-11
North Dakota Administrative Code › Title 69 - Public Service Commission › Article 69-09 - Public Utility Division › Chapter 69-09-02 - Standards of Service - Electric › Section 69-09-02-29 - Location of meters

Current through Supplement No. 393, July, 2024
1. Meters on
				customers premises shall be installed in locations free of conditions
				detrimental to the metering equipment, and where the metering equipment will
				not create a hazard, or be inconvenient for servicing or reading. Meters shall
				be located so that there is not less than three feet [.91 meters] of
				unobstructed space in front of the meter, and so that the top of the meter is
				not less than four feet [1.22 meters], nor more than seven feet [2.13 meters],
				above the floor, ground, or permanent platform.
2. Outdoor meters shall be mounted securely
				on rigid structures such as yard poles, houses, garages, or other buildings.
				Outdoor meters shall be located so that they will not be subject to damage by
				passing objects.
3. Indoor metering
				equipment shall be located as near as practicable to the point where service
				enters the building, and shall be mounted securely on a permanent structure in
				a location free from excessive moisture, high temperature, and vibration.
				Meters shall not be placed in attics, living rooms, bathrooms, toilets,
				bedrooms, over doors or windows, or in any location where annoyance or
				inconvenience might be caused by servicing or reading the meter. When two or
				more meters are installed in an office, apartment, or other building, the
				meters shall be placed side by side on the same meter board with a distance
				between centers of not less than seven and one-half inches [19.05 centimeters]
				for alternating current meters and fifteen inches [38.1 centimeters] for direct
				current meters.
General Authority:
NDCC 49-02-11Law
Implemented:
NDCC
					 49-02-11
North Dakota Administrative Code › Title 69 - Public Service Commission › Article 69-09 - Public Utility Division › Chapter 69-09-02 - Standards of Service - Electric › Section 69-09-02-30 - Public interest

Current through Supplement No. 393, July, 2024
The public has a paramount right to:
1. All forms of public service efficiently
				rendered at a reasonable cost.
2.
				Require that public service facilities shall be so constructed and maintained
				as not to constitute a hazard to life and property.
3. Establish regulations which will permit
				the full economic use of public rights of way for the distribution of all
				classes of utility service.
General Authority:
NDCC
					 49-02-04 Law
Implemented:
NDCC
					 49-02-04,
					 49-20-02