Chapter PSC 113

PSC 113.0802(3) (3) The metering and wiring in nontransient, multi-dwelling-unit residential buildings, mobile home parks and commercial establishments where individual unit metering is provided, or required under the provisions of s. PSC 113.0803, shall be so installed or arranged so that each customer or tenant is metered for his or her own consumption only. Energy used by common area loads, for example, hallway lighting and heating, shall be separately metered and billed as appropriate under the utility’s filed tariff.

PSC 113.0802(4) (4) Utilities shall inspect existing properties for jointly metered service where a tenant reasonably suspects that he or she is being billed for significant usage (e.g., furnace, water heater, etc.) that is serving more than one rental dwelling unit. The utility may bill the property owner for such an inspection. See s. 196.643, Stats.

PSC 113.0802 History History: Cr. Register, July, 2000, No. 535, eff. 8-1-00.

PSC 113.0803 PSC 113.0803 Individual electric meters required for non-transient multi-dwelling unit residential buildings, mobile home parks and for commercial establishments.

PSC 113.0803(1) (1) Each dwelling in a multi-dwelling unit residential building and mobile home park constructed after March 1, 1980, shall have installed a separate electric meter for each such dwelling unit. Dwelling unit means a structure or that part of a structure which is used or intended to be used as a home, residence or a sleeping place by one or more persons maintaining a common household and shall exclude transient multi-dwelling buildings and mobile home parks: for example, hotels, motels, campgrounds, hospitals, community-based residential facilities, residential care apartment complexes or similar facilities, nursing homes, college dormitories, fraternities, and sororities.

PSC 113.0803(2) (2) Each tenant space in a commercial building constructed after March 1, 1980 shall have installed a separate electric meter.

PSC 113.0803(3) (3) Any existing building which undergoes alterations involving a change in type of occupancy or substantial remodeling shall have installed a separate electric meter for each separate tenant space.

PSC 113.0803(4) (4) For the purpose of carrying out the provisions of sub. (1), individual unit metering will not be required:

PSC 113.0803(4)(a) (a) In commercial buildings where the commercial unit space requirements are subject to alteration, as evidenced by temporary versus permanent type of wall construction separating the commercial unit spaces. Examples of temporary wall construction are partition walls which do not extend through the ceiling and walls which do not constitute a code-required fire separation.

PSC 113.0803(4)(b) (b) For electricity used in central heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems.

PSC 113.0803(4)(c) (c) For electric back-up service to storage heating and cooling systems or when alternative renewable energy resources are utilized in connection with central heating ventilating and air conditioning systems.

PSC 113.0803(5) (5) For reasonable cause shown, the commission may grant waivers of this rule on a case-by-case basis. Applications for a waiver must be submitted to the commission in writing and set forth the facts or reasons applicant believes justify a waiver. In cases involving multi-dwelling unit residential buildings, the applicant must show that the electric equipment under tenant control is substantially more efficient than required by applicable codes and that the overall electric usage under tenant control is minimal. Example cases which would not qualify for waiver are buildings which are electrically heated or buildings which have individual unit electric water heaters.

PSC 113.0803 History History: Cr. Register, July, 2000, No. 535, eff. 8-1-00; CR 02-027: am. (1), Register December 2002 No. 564, eff. 1-1-03.

PSC 113.0804 PSC 113.0804 One-point metering. Every reasonable effort shall be made to measure at one point all the electrical quantities necessary for billing a customer under a given rate.

PSC 113.0804 History History: Cr. Register, July, 2000, No. 535, eff. 8-1-00.

PSC 113.0805 PSC 113.0805 Tamper-resistant equipment. Where electrical energy has been diverted or the utility’s equipment for measuring the service or controlling a customer’s load has been interfered with, the utility may require the customer to install entrance and service equipment to prevent current diversion or interference with the metering or control equipment.

PSC 113.0805 Note Note: See s. PSC 113.0808.

PSC 113.0805 Note Note: Care should be taken in determining the existence of diversion and amount of energy diverted. In case check-meters are used, the possibility of grounds between meters, normal meter inaccuracies and incorrect connections of meters should not be over-looked. The requirements of the Wisconsin state electrical code for entrances should effectively prevent such diversion. Attention is directed to ss. 939.32 and 943.20, Stats.

PSC 113.0805 History History: Cr. Register, July, 2000, No. 535, eff. 8-1-00.

PSC 113.0806 PSC 113.0806 Multipliers and test constants.

PSC 113.0806(1) (1) Meters which are not direct reading shall have the multiplier plainly marked on the dial of the instrument or otherwise suitably marked and all charts taken from recording meters shall be marked with the date of the record, the meter number, customer and chart multiplier.

PSC 113.0806(2) (2) The register ratio shall be marked on all meter registers.

PSC 113.0806(3) (3) The watthour constant for the meter itself shall be placed on each watthour meter.

PSC 113.0806 History History: Cr. Register, July, 2000, No. 535, eff. 8-1-00.

PSC 113.0807 PSC 113.0807 Meter compensation.

PSC 113.0807(1) (1) Metering equipment shall not be set “fast” or “slow” to compensate for supply transformer or line losses.

PSC 113.0807(2) (2) Loss compensators designed to be used with meters and which accurately add iron losses, copper losses, or both may be used. The compensator shall carry a tag identifying the compensation and shall be tested when the associated meter is tested and when the associated supply equipment on lines are changed.

PSC 113.0807 Note Note: See s. PSC 113.0917 which covers test requirements for transformer loss compensators.

PSC 113.0807 History History: Cr. Register, July, 2000, No. 535, eff. 8-1-00.

PSC 113.0808 PSC 113.0808 Sealing meters and service entrance equipment.

PSC 113.0808(1) (1) Meters and metering equipment enclosures, which if open, would permit access to live parts from which energy could be used without proper measurement and utility-owned devices and equipment located on a customer’s property for the control of his or her, load shall be sealed.

PSC 113.0808(2) (2) Where the entrance switch is combined with meter-test facilities, or is installed on the supply side of the meter, the entrance switch boxes may be sealed by the utility. The customer may remove the seal from any fuse compartment to replace fuses if the utility is promptly notified that such seal has been broken.

PSC 113.0808(3) (3) Where a utility supplies different classes of service at different rates to the same premises, such as lighting service and electric water heating service, the utility may seal the service switches.

PSC 113.0808(4) (4) Sealing and resealing shall be without charge to the customer.

PSC 113.0808(5) (5) This rule shall not require modernization of old installations or the sealing of installations which cannot practicably be sealed. Sealing shall not be such as to interfere with the operation of any switch or protective equipment.

PSC 113.0808 History History: Cr. Register, July, 2000, No. 535, eff. 8-1-00.

PSC 113.0809 PSC 113.0809 Installation of metering equipment.

PSC 113.0809(1) (1) The customer or the customer’s agent should confer with the utility as one of the first steps in planning an electrical installation. The watthour meter should be located where it will be readily accessible for reading, testing and repairs and where it will not be subjected to adverse operating conditions or cause inconveniences to the customer. Normally, the utility shall determine the location and type of metering equipment to be installed.

PSC 113.0809(2) (2) The utility should have available for distribution to customers, architects, contractors and electricians copies of rules, specifications and requirements that may be in force relative to meter installations. Installations should conform to such specifications and to applicable codes and safety requirements.

PSC 113.0809(3) (3) Whether installed indoors or outdoors, meters should not be located where they will be subject to vibration or mechanical damage and should be mounted without tilt.

PSC 113.0809(4) (4) Meters and associated equipment used on outdoor installations shall be designed specifically for such use or shall be suitably housed for outdoor service. Meters installed outdoors should not be located where they may be damaged, such as on buildings where unguarded meters will extend into alleys, walkways or driveways.

PSC 113.0809(5) (5) Meters installed outdoors should not be more than 6 feet or less than 4 feet above final ground level (measured from the center of the meter cover) except in the case of meters on pedestals or padmounted transformers where they shall be placed as high as practicable and meters on underground services which may, when practicable, be placed as low as 2.5 feet above final ground level (measured from the center of the meter cover). On individual installations indoors, the meter should be not more than 6 feet or less than 4 feet above floor level (measured from the center of the meter cover). On group installations of meters indoors, no meter should be more than 6 feet or less than 2 feet above floor level (measured from the center of the meter cover). When a number of meters are placed on the same meter panel the distance between centers should be not less than 8.5 inches vertically or 7.5 inches horizontally. For meters installed both indoors and outdoors there should be a minimum of 3 feet of unobstructed space in front of the meter from the surface on which it is mounted.

PSC 113.0809(6) (6) When there is more than one meter at a location, each shall be so tagged or marked as to indicate the circuit metered. Where similar types of meters record different quantities (for example, kilowatt-hours and reactive power) the meters shall be tagged to indicate what they are recording.

PSC 113.0809(7) (7) Test facilities shall be placed in enclosures of sufficient size and of such construction as to make it possible for meter testers to perform the tests required by these rules with safety.

PSC 113.0809 History History: Cr. Register, July, 2000, No. 535, eff. 8-1-00.

PSC 113.0810 PSC 113.0810 Rental charge for metering equipment. The utility may charge a rental for equipment installed to furnish additional metering information to a customer for his or her use or because of governmental requirements.

PSC 113.0810 History History: Cr. Register, July, 2000, No. 535, eff. 8-1-00.

PSC 113.0811 PSC 113.0811 Accuracy of watthour meters. In this section, “meter” or “meters” may refer to metering system(s).

PSC 113.0811(1) (1) Watthour meters used for measuring electrical quantities supplied to customers shall:

PSC 113.0811(1)(a) (a) Be of proper design for the circuit on which they are used, be properly connected and installed, be in good mechanical condition, have adequate insulation, correct internal connections and correct register.

PSC 113.0811(1)(b) (b) Not creep at “no load” a full revolution of the disk in 10 minutes or less when the load wires are disconnected and potential is impressed or in a test in the shop where the load wires are disconnected and the permissible voltage variation impressed. If the rate of creep can be determined in a shorter interval, it is not necessary to wait the full 10-minute period.

PSC 113.0811(1)(c) (c) If the meters are designed for use on alternating current circuits, they shall be accurate to within plus or minus 1% at 2 load tests: one equal to between 8% and 12% of full reference test current at unity power factor and the other between 90% and 110% of full reference test current at unity power factor; and for polyphase meters, shall be accurate to within plus or minus 2% at between 75% and 100% full reference test current and approximately 50% lagging power factor. For self-contained meters the reference test current shall be the ampere or test ampere rating of the meter, whichever is shown on the nameplate. For meters used with current transformers the reference test current shall be the test-ampere rating of the meter or the secondary rating of the current transformers.

PSC 113.0811 Note Note: See s. PSC 113.0926 (2) for accuracy requirements for meters operating in the reverse-registration mode.

PSC 113.0811(2) (2) Polyphase meters shall have their stators in balance within 2% at 100% load at unity and at approximately 50% lagging power factor.

PSC 113.0811(3) (3) Meters used with instrument transformers shall be adjusted, if necessary, so that the overall accuracy of the metering installation will meet the requirements of this rule.

PSC 113.0811 History History: Cr. Register, July, 2000, No. 535, eff. 8-1-00; CR 02-027: r. (4), Register December 2002 No. 564, eff. 1-1-03.

PSC 113.0812 PSC 113.0812 Accuracy of demand meters. In this section, “meter” or “meters” may refer to metering system(s).

PSC 113.0812(1) (1) A demand meter, demand register, or demand attachment used to measure customer’s service shall:

PSC 113.0812(1)(a) (a) Be in good mechanical and electrical condition.

PSC 113.0812(1)(b) (b) Have proper constants, indicating scale, contact device and resetting device.

PSC 113.0812(1)(c) (c) Not register at no load.

PSC 113.0812(1)(d) (d) Be accurate to the following degrees:

PSC 113.0812(1)(d)1. 1. Curve drawing meters which record quantity time curves and integrated-demand meters shall be accurate to within plus or minus 2.0% of full scale throughout their working range. Timing elements measuring specific demand intervals shall be accurate to within plus or minus 2.0% and the timing elements which serve to provide a record of the time of day when the demand occurs shall be accurate to within plus or minus 4 minutes in 24 hours.

PSC 113.0812(1)(d)2. 2. Lagged-demand meters shall be accurate to within plus or minus 4% of full scale at final indication.

PSC 113.0812(2) (2) The overall accuracy of demand metering installations utilizing pulse-initiator and pulse-recorder equipment shall be acceptable when the monthly kilowatt-hours calculated from the pulse count do not differ from the corresponding kilowatt-hour meter registrations by more than the kilowatt-hour constant of the meter, or 2%, whichever is greater. The timing element error shall not be more than plus or minus 4 minutes per day.

PSC 113.0812(3) (3) When a timing element also serves to keep a record of the time of day at which the demand occurs, it shall be corrected if it is found to be in error by more than plus or minus 4 minutes per day.

PSC 113.0812 History History: Cr. Register, July, 2000, No. 535, eff. 8-1-00.

PSC 113.0813 PSC 113.0813 Requirements for instrument transformers.

PSC 113.0813(1) (1) Instrument transformers used in conjunction with metering equipment to measure customers’ service shall:

PSC 113.0813(1)(a) (a) Be in proper mechanical condition and have electrical insulation satisfactory for the service used.

PSC 113.0813(1)(b) (b) Be 0.3% accuracy-class units and otherwise have characteristics such that the combined inaccuracies of all transformers supplying one or more meters in a given installation will not exceed the total accuracies for the following conditions:

PSC 113.0813(1)(b)1. 1. Power factor equals 1.0 and 10% load, accuracy equals 0.6%.

PSC 113.0813(1)(b)2. 2. Power factor equals 1.0 and 100% load, accuracy equals 0.3%.

PSC 113.0813(1)(b)3. 3. Power factor equals 0.5 and 100% load, accuracy equals 1.0%.

PSC 113.0813(2) (2) 

PSC 113.0813(2)(a) (a) Meters used in conjunction with instrument transformers shall be adjusted so that the overall accuracies will come within the limits specified ss. PSC 113.0811 and 113.0812.

PSC 113.0813(2)(b) (b) Instrument transformers shall be tested with the meter with which they are associated by making an overall test, or may be checked separately. If the transformers are tested separately, the meters shall also be checked to see that the overall accuracy of the installation is within the prescribed accuracy requirements.

PSC 113.0813(2)(c) (c) The results of tests of instrument transformers shall be kept on record and available for use when transformers are installed. For other than 0.3% accuracy class instrument transformers, the results of the most recent test for each instrument transformer shall be entered on or attached to the test card form for each test of the associated meter prior to the test of that meter.

PSC 113.0813(3) (3) Phase shifting transformers shall have secondary voltages under balanced line-voltage conditions within 1% plus or minus of the voltage impressed on the primary.

PSC 113.0813 History History: Cr. Register, July, 2000, No. 535, eff. 8-1-00.

PSC 113.0814 PSC 113.0814 Portable indicating instruments. All portable indicating electrical instruments used for determining quality of service to customers or for billing purposes, such as voltmeters, ammeters and watt meters, shall be checked against suitable secondary reference standards at least once in each 6 months. If the portable indicating instrument is found appreciably in error at zero or in error by more than 1% of indication at commonly used scale deflections, it shall be adjusted. A history and calibration record shall be kept for each such instrument.

PSC 113.0814 History History: Cr. Register, July, 2000, No. 535, eff. 8-1-00.

PSC 113.0815 PSC 113.0815 Type of instruments. All electric service of the same type rendered under the same rate schedule shall be metered with instruments having like characteristics, except that the commission may approve the use of instruments of different types if their use does not result in unreasonable discrimination. Either all of the reactive meters which may run backwards or none of the reactive meters used for measuring reactive power under one schedule shall be ratcheted.

PSC 113.0815 History History: Cr. Register, July, 2000, No. 535, eff. 8-1-00.

PSC 113.0816 PSC 113.0816 Servicing utilization control equipment.

PSC 113.0816(1) (1) Utilities shall service and maintain any equipment they use on customers’ premises so as to provide service in accordance with the rate provisions.

PSC 113.0816(2) (2) Systems and devices used by the utility to control customer metering and loads shall be tested or checked on installation and periodically thereafter, if necessary, to verify proper operation.

PSC 113.0816 History History: Cr. Register, July, 2000, No. 535, eff. 8-1-00.

PSC 113.0817 PSC 113.0817 Metering at point of interchange and for customers’ operating generating equipment.