Electricity meters measure energy consumption and some provide load management functionality. In most countries, the energy consumption measured by the meter forms the basis for energy suppliers to generate a bill for consumers to pay for their usage.
In some countries, payment meters are used that provide consumer with the ability to pay for their energy consumption at the meter. Payment meters have the facility to accept credit by means of a token (e.g., smart card, key, or over the air). They measure the energy usage and, through the use of in-built tariff data, deduct the charge from the available credit. Payment meters are fitted with a supply control switch that cuts off the supply when the available credit has been exhausted. The supply is restored when more credit is added. Features such as Emergency Credit allow consumers to restore their supply if they cannot, for some reason, manage to top up their credit.
Smart meters often have the facility to be configured as payment meters, providing the ability to be topped up remotely over the air in real time, which can be more convenient for consumers.
To ensure the performance and functionality of these meters, the IEC has recently published an updated edition to IEC 62055-31, Electricity metering - Payment systems - Part 31: Particular requirements - Static payment meters for active energy (classes 0,5, 1 and 2). This second edition replaces the first edition published in 2005.
According to John Cowburn, the Project Leader responsible for the development of IEC 62055-31, "The electricity grid is undergoing massive transformation, particularly with the introduction of smart meters in many countries. Customers need access to a reliable power supply with transparent and flexible billing solutions. The updated version of IEC 62055-31 brings the standard into alignment with the recently updated metrology and safety standards."
The new edition of IEC 62055-31 defines the functional requirements that apply to payment meters, including basic informative requirements as well as test methods for some operations, while also providing flexibility for the wide range of options available on the market. IEC 62055-31 has been designed to align with the requirements of IEC 62052-31 which specifies product safety requirements for equipment for electrical energy measurement and control.
It has been prepared by IEC Technical Committee 13: Electrical energy measurement and control.
A commented version (CMV) of the official IEC 62055-31 standard is available to allow for the easy identification of changes made compared to the previous edition. It also includes comments from the experts who developed the standard to explain the reasoning for the changes.
(Source: IEC)
