OVERVIEW

14^th JULY 2023

(A.C. STATIC DIRECT CONNECTED WATT HOUR SMART METER CLASS 1 AND 2 IS 16444 PART 1)

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry, specifically the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, has issued a an order on the 14th of July, 2023, named The Smart Meters (Quality Control) Order, 2023.

This order, supported by the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016, aims to regulate the quality of smart meters.

1. IS 16444 Part 1 = A.C. static direct connected watt hour smart meter class 1 and 2
2. IS 16444 Part 2 = A.C. static transformer operated watthour and var-hour smart meters,

class 0.2s, 0.5s and 1.0s

It becomes effective six months after the publication date.

For Small Enterprises, as described in The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006, it will be applicable and enforced nine months after the notification is published, which seems like a long time.

The order mandates the mandatory use of a Standard Mark on specified goods although that seems quite redundant, aligning them with corresponding Indian Standards IS 16444 Part 1 and IS 16444 Part 2, and requiring a license from the Bureau. Notably, goods or articles produced domestically for export are exempt from the order. The Bureau is assigned the role of both certifying and enforcing authority for the specified goods! That's quite a lot of responsibility. Violation of this order can lead to penalties, so it's definitely not something to ignore.

TABLE

QCO - Quality Control Order