§ 7-301. Meters -- Authorization by Commission

   (a) In general. -- A person may not furnish or put in use for revenue billing purposes a gas meter or electric meter unless the Commission has authorized the meter's use.

(b) Testing of meters. --

   (1) Each gas company and electric company shall maintain suitable equipment, approved by the Commission, for testing the accuracy of a gas meter or electric meter furnished by the company for use by its customers.

   (2) The gas company or electric company shall test a customer's meter with the equipment in accordance with § 7-302 of this subtitle.

   (3) A small rural electric cooperative described in § 7-502(a) of this title may satisfy this section by demonstrating that the electric meters which it furnishes to customers comply with the standards of the utility regulatory body of the state in which the cooperative has its principal place of business.

(c) Individual metering. --

   (1) This subsection applies to:

      (i) a new residential multiple occupancy building;

      (ii) a new shopping center; or

      (iii) a new housing unit that is constructed, managed, operated, developed, or subsidized by a local housing authority established under Division II of the Housing and Community Development Article.

   (2) The service restrictions imposed under this subsection do not apply to central hot water.

   (3) Except as provided in § 7-304.1 of this subtitle, the Commission may not authorize a gas company or electric company to service an occupancy unit or shopping center unit subject to this subsection unless the building or shopping center has individual metered service or submetering as provided under § 7-303 or § 7-304 of this subtitle for each individually leased or owned occupancy unit or shopping center unit.

   (4) In accordance with its regulations, the Commission may authorize a gas company or electric company to provide service for central heating or cooling systems, or a combination of those systems, to an occupancy unit or shopping center unit subject to this subsection if the Commission is satisfied that the service will result in a substantial net saving of energy over the energy saving that would result from individual metering or submetering as provided under § 7-303 or § 7-304 of this subtitle.

(d) Imposition of unauthorized utility charges prohibited. -- The owner, operator, or manager of a residential multiple occupancy building or shopping center subject to this section may not impose a utility cost on an occupancy unit or shopping center unit, except for charges that:

   (1) the Commission authorizes the gas company or electric company to impose; and

   (2) the gas company or electric company actually imposes on the owner, operator, or manager.

HISTORY: An. Code 1957, art. 78, § 51; 1998, ch. 8, § 2; 2001, ch. 117; 2003, ch. 101; 2006, ch. 64; 2010, chs. 314, 315.