Gas Meter

Bill_3

Timmie, I read you post about gas meter's on the round table. Somebody said that a house gas meter can be off as much as 10 to 15 Percent.

My question is how is the Homeowner to know, and How can it be checked.

Bill_3

Gas Meter

I read your'post

scrook

In the Commonwealth of Massachusetts...

From the MA Dept of Telecommunications and Energy Terms and Conditions for LDC's (others are likely similar, check your state's web page or call your DPU):

7.11 The Company shall maintain the accuracy of all metering equipment installed pursuant hereto by regular testing and calibration in comparison to recognized standards. Any meter tested and found to register less than or equal to 2% above or below the recognized comparative standard shall be considered correct and accurate. A Customer may request the Company to test the accuracy of any of its metering equipment installed upon the Customer's premises. The Company may remove and test its meters at no charge to residential Customers. The Company may charge non-residential Customers for this testing if the meter tested is found to register less than or equal to 2% above or below the recognized comparative standard, and such test was conducted as part of an investigation into a high bill complaint by the Customer. Any such test shall be conducted according to the standards therefor as established by this paragraph.

In the event that any meter fails to register or registers incorrectly, the Company shall reasonably determine the length of the period during which such meter failed to register or registered incorrectly and the quantity of Gas delivered during such period, based upon available information, including the Customer's records of Gas Usage and operation at the Customer's facility....

Further, MA requires the utility to change out it's meters every 7 years w/ newly calibrated meters.

Last, th eutility monitors the actual BTU content per ccf and adjusts th ecubic foot reading for the actual Therms per hundred cubic feet (0.99 to 1.05 Therm per ccf seems to be the typical range). The variation comes because of variations in the methane/ethane/propane/inert gas content, the gas is primarily methane, but in peak demand periods some propane plus air is added. The inert gas (nitrogen or air (well below the LEL it should be noted) keeps the BTU content close to that of straight methane so correct firing rates are maintained by appliances.

In general, unless you have reason to believe your meter is off, I would not worry. If you have them test a meter and it is *not* found to be out of calibration you will likely be charged for their efforts.

scrook

Unknown

Gas meters always run slow

they never run fast. Since that post from Comfort Institute I have talked to the folks at American Meter, Rockwell and Sprague meter. Other than the old tin meters which most of those should be gone by now, modern meters are accurate to within .5%. If they do anything they will slow down slightly (to the customers advantage). They told me that if a meter was off 10 to 15% the utilities would go broke.

It is also required in most places that meters be changed for testing every 7 years to in some places 15 years. That depends on the local Departments of Public Utilities.

The only other concern is when AMR is added to meters. That is Automatic Meter Reading devices. They tend to make the half foot dial for clocking meters inaccurate. The tech should then use the two (2) foot test dial. Apply the method of running two appliances to clock and then shutting one off and clocking again with the higher input then subtact the difference for better accuracy.

Bill_3

Clocking gas meter

Tim, let me get this straight, you let the half foot go around one revolution and count the seconds that it takes and then do your math. Now with this AMR you have two appliances on, and you take the reading of half foot one revolution. Is this right,then you shut one appliance off and read the half foot one revolution. Then you subtract the lowest from the highest,and that gives you the accurate reading.

Am I going Nuts or What!