Current through Vol. 25-4, March 15, 2025
Rule 31.
(1) All
gas that is sold by a utility must be on the basis of meter measurement, unless
otherwise approved by the commission.
(2) The utility shall provide the terms and
conditions of service available to prospective customers upon
request.
(3) If gas is supplied and
metered to a customer at a nominal delivery pressure of 0.25 pounds per square
inch gauge, then, for billing purposes, both of the following provisions apply:
(a) The gas volume that is registered by the
meter is assumed to be measured at standard billing conditions as defined in
R 460.2301(d)(i),
regardless of the actual temperature of the gas or actual atmospheric pressure.
All meters that are to operate at ambient outdoor conditions must be equipped
with a temperature-compensating device.
(b) If the billing pressure base is 14.65
pounds per square inch absolute, then the atmospheric pressure is assumed to be
14.4 pounds per square inch absolute. If the commission has approved a
different billing pressure base, then the assumed atmospheric pressure is equal
to the difference between such absolute billing pressure base and 0.25 pounds
per square inch.
(4) If
gas is supplied to a customer through a low-pressure distribution system such
that a service regulator is not used before metering, then, for billing
purposes, the gas must be assumed to be supplied and metered at 0.25 pounds per
square inch gauge. The low-pressure system must be operated so that the gauge
pressure at the outlet of the meter must be maintained within a range of 3
inches water column minimum to a maximum of 14 inches water column. However,
delivery to the customer may be as high as 18 inches water column if the
pressure to the gas utilization equipment is regulated to not more than 14
inches water column. A utility may implement different standards for operating
its low-pressure system if those standards are approved by the
commission.
(5) If gas is supplied
and metered to a customer at a nominal delivery pressure of more than 0.25
pounds per square inch gauge, then, for billing purposes, all of the following
provisions apply:
(a) The gas volume that is
measured by the meter must be corrected to standard billing conditions as
defined in
R
460.2301(d)(i).
(b) Gas volume corrections for temperature
must be made pursuant to Charles law. Gas volume corrections for pressure must
be made pursuant to Boyles law. Gas volume corrections for supercompressibility
must be made pursuant to either of the following publications, both of which
are adopted by reference in R 460.2344:
(i)
"Manual for the Determination of Supercompressibility Factors, PRCI Project
NX-19" as adopted by reference in R 460.2344.
(ii) "American Gas Association (AGA) Report
No. 8, Part 1, "Thermodynamic Properties of Natural Gas and Related Gases,
DETAIL and GROSS Equations of State." (2017) AGA Catalog No. XQ1704-1 as
adopted by reference in R 460.2344.
(c) If the pressure at which the gas is
metered is established on a gauge basis rather than an absolute basis, then the
absolute pressure at which the gas is metered must be inferred by summing the
gauge pressure and either the actual atmospheric pressure or a reasonable
estimate thereof or an atmospheric pressure that is filed with, and approved
by, the commission.
(d) If a
pressure-compensating device is used with the meter, the device must be
calibrated using the actual atmospheric pressure or a reasonable estimate
thereof.
