Gas (Metering) Regulations

Gas Act

(Chapter 116A, Section 96)

Rg 3

G.N. No. S 459/2008

REVISED EDITION 2009

(1st June 2009)

[15th September 2008]

PART I

PRELIMINARY

Citation

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Gas (Metering) Regulations.

Definitions

2.—(1) In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires —

“accuracy limits” means the accuracy limits for a specified range of volume of gas as set out in the First Schedule;

“balancing period” means a period of one hour commencing on an hour bar and ending on the next following hour bar;

“BPCM installation” means a balancing period capable meter installation for which —

(a)	meter reading is not conducted for each balancing period;
(b)	meter data is recorded in the meter installation for each balancing period; and
(c)	meter data is available to the designated gas transporter at intervals longer than every hour;

“BPRM installation” means a balancing period read meter installation for which —

(a)	meter reading is conducted for each balancing period;
(b)	meter data is recorded in the meter installation for each balancing period; and
(c)	meter data is available to the designated gas transporter at hourly intervals;

“designated gas transporter” has the same meaning as in section 61A of the Act;

“DRCM installation” means a daily read capable meter installation for which —

(a)	meter data is recorded in the meter installation for each day; and
(b)	meter data is available to the designated gas transporter at intervals longer than every day;

“meter data” means all data collected and transferred from a meter installation, including the meter readings, the meter installation ID, the relevant balancing period, energy consumption and natural gas throughput volume and quality, where applicable;

“meter installation” means any meter and its associated equipment and installation, including any associated pipework, filter, valve, pressure regulating equipment, seal, housing, mounting, telemetry equipment, gas chromatograph and flow computer;

“meter installation ID” means the identification number given to each meter installation by the designated gas transporter;

“meter owner” means a person who owns any meter installation;

“participant” means a meter owner, direct access customer or gas shipper;

“relevant direct access customer”, in relation to a meter owner, means a direct access customer who withdraws gas conveyed to his premises through a meter installation owned by the meter owner;

“relevant gas shipper”, in relation to a meter owner, means a gas shipper who ships gas into or out from, the point in a gas transmission pipeline where a meter installation owned by the meter owner is installed;

“retail customer” means a consumer, other than a direct access customer, who is supplied with gas by a gas retailer and whose premises are connected to a gas mains network.

(2) Except as otherwise expressly provided, any reference in these Regulations to a meter installation shall not include a reference to a meter installation located at the premises of a retail customer.

PART II

METER INSTALLATION AND SECURITY

Location of meter installation

3. Every meter owner shall ensure that his BPCM installation or DRCM installation is installed in such location and in such a manner as will enable any person, authorised by a relevant gas shipper to read the meter, to have reasonable access to the meter with minimal risk of bodily injury to himself.

Tampering with meter installation, etc.

4.—(1) No person shall alter or tamper with, or carry out, engage in or do anything in relation to, any meter installation such as to compromise or adversely affect the accuracy of the meter installation.

(2) In this regulation, “meter installation” —

(a)	includes a meter installation located at the premises of a direct access customer or a retail customer; and
(b)	does not include any meter.

Notification of tampering with meter installation, etc.

5.—(1) Where any meter installation has been altered or tampered with, or has had its accuracy compromised or adversely affected, the meter owner of the meter installation shall —

(a)	notify all of the parties affected by such an occurrence; and
(b)	arrange for tests to be conducted on the meter installation and, if necessary, repair the meter installation, to ensure that the meter installation is operating within the accuracy limits.

[S 578/2019 wef 01/09/2019]

(2) A gas transporter or a gas retailer must collect and use an individual’s unique identity information to verify, in relation to a report by the individual to the gas transporter or gas retailer (as the case may be) about any tampering or suspected tampering of any meter, the individual’s identity.

[S 578/2019 wef 01/09/2019]

(3) An individual’s unique identity information for the purpose of paragraph (2) is any of the following:

(a)	the individual’s NRIC number;
(b)	the individual’s foreign identification number or FIN;
(c)	the individual’s work permit number.

[S 578/2019 wef 01/09/2019]

Security of meter data

6. Every meter owner shall, in respect of every meter installation he owns —

(a)	ensure that the meter installation is secured against unauthorised access, interference and tampering, and, where necessary, install a remote alarm which alerts the meter owner to any unauthorised access to the meter installation;
(b)	ensure that the meter installation is located as close to the point of measurement on the gas transmission pipeline as technically practicable;
(c)	ensure that the meter data held in the meter installation is protected from unauthorised local or remote electronic access by implementing appropriate security measures, including, where necessary, password protection and data firewalls;
(d)	ensure that the security measures he has implemented to prevent any unauthorised local or remote electronic access to the meter data held in the meter installation are reviewed periodically;
(e)	keep secure record of the electronic access password used to prevent any unauthorised local or remote electronic access to the meter data held in the meter installation; and
(f)	provide the designated gas transporter or a relevant gas shipper, as the case may be, with a “read only” password to access the meter data held in the meter installation.

Preservation of meter data

7. Every meter owner shall ensure that any meter data in the meter installations owned by him is not altered, corrupted or lost.

PART III

TESTING AND CALIBRATION OF METER INSTALLATIONS

Testing and calibration

8. Every meter owner shall, for every meter installation he owns —

(a)

cause the meter installation to be tested and calibrated in accordance with the Second Schedule before the meter is installed;

(b)

cause the meter to be certified that it complies with the accuracy limits by —

(i)	a laboratory approved by the Singapore Accreditation Council under the Singapore Laboratory Accredited Scheme (SAC-SINGLAS); or
(ii)	such other test facility as the Authority may determine from time to time;

(c)

where the meter installation includes a gas chromatograph, cause the gas chromatograph to be tested and calibrated by a competent person;

(d)

cause the meter installation to be tested no less frequently than as prescribed in the Second Schedule, and cause the meter to be calibrated if the result of the test indicates that the meter is operating outside the accuracy limits;

(e)

provide the following persons with at least 14 days’ written notice of the proposed time and date on which the meter installation is to be tested and calibrated and the nature of the testing and calibration to be undertaken, or such shorter notice as may be agreed by the parties:

(i)	the participants who may be affected by the testing and calibration of the meter installation; and
(ii)	the designated gas transporter (where the meter installation is not owned by the designated gas transporter);

(f)

permit the participants referred to in paragraph (e)(i) to be present in person or by a representative, at their own cost and risk, to observe the calibration of the meter installation and any consequential adjustment or recalibration;

(g)

maintain the results of the test referred to in paragraph (a) and the certificates issued by the test facility referred to in paragraph (b) for at least 6 years, and produce such results or certificates within 7 days of being requested to do so by the Authority, any participant referred to in paragraph (e)(i) or the designated gas transporter; and

(h)

where the meter installation is not owned by the designated gas transporter, arrange at his own cost for the designated gas transporter to be present to witness and affirm in a written statement that the testing and calibration and any consequential adjustment or recalibration has been carried out.

Right to check accuracy of meter installation

9.—(1) Every meter owner shall, for every meter installation he owns —

(a)	arrange for the meter to be tested to confirm the accuracy of the meter readings, on the request of any participant referred to in regulation 8(e)(i);
(b)	make the results of the test conducted pursuant to sub- paragraph (a) available to the participant who requested for the test to be conducted; and
(c)	keep the results of the test conducted pursuant to sub- paragraph (a) for at least 6 years, and produce such results within 7 days of being requested to do so by the Authority or the participant who requested for the test to be conducted.

(2) In the event that the results of any test conducted pursuant to paragraph (1)(a) show that the meter is operating within the accuracy limits, the cost of the test and other expenses incurred in conducting the test shall be borne by the participant who requested for the test to be conducted.

(3) In the event that the results of any test conducted pursuant to paragraph (1)(a) show that the meter is operating outside the accuracy limits, the cost of the test and other expenses incurred in conducting the test shall be borne by the meter owner.