Electrical Meters Approved by Measurement Canada for Electricity Billing
The following Government of Canada site link list the different meter approved for electricity billing to tenants: Notice of Approval database search
The site shows the meter model, the date it was approved by Measurement Canada, technical information and picture of the meter.
Meter Brand Approved
Companies like General Electric, Schlumberger, Intellimeter, Sangamo, CIC Systems, Siemens, Gentec, ABB, STN, Ametek, Quadlogic Controls, Power Measurement (Schneider), Aclara Power Line, Landis & Gyr, Eaton, Cutler-Hammer, Itron, Square D (Schneider) have some of their models approved.
Why Do Meters Need to Be Approved
Before a new type of meter can be used for billing purposes, the manufacturer must provide Measurement Canada with a prototype. Measurement Canada then evaluates the prototype design for accuracy. If the meter passes these tests, it’s approved and can be used for billing purposes in Canada.
In addition, Measurement Canada or accredited organizations:
- verify the accuracy of the meters before they are placed into service
- seal the meters before they are placed into service
- periodically check to make sure the meter accuracy is maintained
Electricity is quite complex to measure. The complexity comes from the fact that Electrical Power is varying constantly over time due to equipment being switched on and off. Also, electrical power is a function of current and voltage which are sinusoidal in nature (the sine wave is 60Hz meaning fluctuating 60 time per seconds). Some equipment (motors, computers, power supplies, electronics) are distorting the sine wave (they create harmonics), some equipment such as motor are changing the phasing between current and voltage introducing inefficiencies in the power delivered.
For these reasons meters need to be tested against a series of predefined loads with different power factors, harmonics etc… to validate their accuracies.