The Norwegian Metrology Service sets requirements for and supervises electricity meters to ensure that they measure correctly. The metrological requirements are set out in the Regulation on Requirements for Electricity Meters. It is the grid company (and not the electricity supplier) that is responsible for ensuring that the meter complies with the requirements of this regulation.
The Norwegian Metrology Service only sets metrological requirements for electricity meters. Many of the requirements for electricity meters – such as how often readings must be taken, estimation if measurements are missing, and quality assurance of measurement results sent by the meter – are the responsibility of the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE). However, the Norwegian Metrology Service ensures that electricity meters in use actually measure correctly.
New meters placed on the market must undergo conformity assessment in accordance with the regulation. A conformity assessment includes a technical review of the instrument type and an inspection of the finished units. The requirements for new electricity meters in the regulation are the same as in the EU Measuring Instruments Directive.
Such conformity assessments must be carried out by an independent notified body. This body may be the Norwegian Metrology Service or another equivalent institution in the EEA. In other words, your electricity meter may not have been assessed by the Norwegian Metrology Service itself, but it has been assessed by another body with the same level of competence.
In Norway there are also requirements for supervision of electricity meters after they are put into use. An electricity meter must be inspected by the grid company 3 years after its production year, and then after 8 years. Since the meters are installed in private homes, this is an expensive inspection, and therefore it is usually conducted as a sample inspection. This means that grid companies only check a small proportion of a group of meters of the same type. If too many of these do not comply with the requirements, the entire batch must be replaced.
The chance of being selected for such a sample inspection is quite small. For example, only 125 meters will be selected for testing from a group of 10,000 meters. Most people will therefore not notice that this supervision system exists – but it does!
Since supervision in use is sample-based, individual meters with faults may not be detected. If you suspect that your meter is faulty, we recommend contacting your grid company. Most grid companies state in their terms that they will inspect and replace meters free of charge if the meter is faulty.
The meter type register is only used for electricity meters. When grid companies inspect meters, they do so based on a selection of similar meters. This follows from the Regulation on Requirements for Electricity Meters.
It states: “Statistical inspections may be carried out on groups composed of similar meters of 18 units or more, so that the results are representative of the entire group. A group should be as homogeneous as possible, but may include meters from several owners. A group or batch of similar meters is defined by the same meter type ID established by the Norwegian Metrology Service.”
The meter type register is a list of all meter type IDs established by the Norwegian Metrology Service. The purpose is that if the same meter type ID is used nationwide, grid companies can cooperate on selection and grouping, making the inspection scheme as efficient as possible.
All measuring instruments assessed in accordance with the Measuring Instruments Directive must bear the CE mark, an M + the year of conformity assessment in a rectangle, and a 4-digit code indicating which notified body was involved. The Norwegian Metrology Service has notified body code 0431.
You can check your own meter to see if this marking is correct. In the NANDO register you can search for the instrument category and find notified bodies that can perform conformity assessments of electricity meters. The 4-digit code in the marking will show which body assessed your meter.
Note that this marking only applies to the new smart meters. The Measuring Instruments Directive came into effect in 2006, so meters from before that time do not have such marking.
The Norwegian Metrology Service offers on-request verification as one of our services. As a neutral third party, we can carry out verification and in-use inspections and issue documentation. We have the equipment and expertise to help your enterprise meet the requirements for measurements.
Electricity meters installed in households must undergo conformity assessment in accordance with the Electricity Metering Regulation. The metrological requirements for the meters are set out in the Regulation on Requirements for Electricity Meters (elmålerforskriften). It is the grid company (not the electricity supplier) that is responsible for ensuring that the meter complies with the regulation. The Norwegian Metrology Service supervises that grid companies have adequate routines for conducting random checks of the different types of electricity meters in use.
Please contact us.
Phone:
64 84 84 84
E-mail:
postmottak@justervesenet.no
Contact form:
Fill in our contact form, and we will respond as quickly as possible.
Go to contact form
