INSPECTION OF METERS (11-20-070 et seq.)

Municipal Code of Chicago tit. 11, ch. 11-20, art. II

in effect

Municipal Code of Chicago § 11-20-070 Inspector's uniform or badge.

11-20-070 Inspector's uniform or badge. Every person furnishing or selling gas for illuminating or fuel purposes within the city shall supply or furnish to every person employed by such person as inspector of gas meters, or examiner or tester of meters, or meter statement taker, a uniform or badge showing conspicuously the nature of the employment and the name of the person by whom he is employed. Said employer shall register the name of each person so employed with the inspector of weights and measures. No person so employed for testing, examining, removing or inspecting said meters shall engage in such employment unless he is wearing a uniform or badge in a conspicuous manner, so that it can be readily perceived. It shall be unlawful for any person not employed in any such capacity to enter or secure entrance into any house, building or store upon the representation that he is thus employed, or to wear any uniform or badge showing or representing any such employment. (Prior code § 187-7)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 11-20-080 Standards.

11-20-080 Standards. There shall be maintained in the office of the inspector of weights and measures at least three standard gas meters which have been tested, sealed and certified by the United States Bureau of Standards. The meters so maintained shall be used as standards for the purpose of checking the working provers which are used by said inspector of weights and measures in checking and testing meters used by consumers of gas. The unit of measure to be employed by the inspector of weights and measures in making the test of meters herein provided for shall be the cubic foot containing 62,321 pounds of rain or distilled water at a temperature of 62 degrees Fahrenheit, and at a barometric pressure of 30 inches. (Prior code § 187-8)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 11-20-090 Pressure for testing.

11-20-090 Pressure for testing. All meters shall be tested at a pressure which will balance a column of water one and five-tenths inches in height. The accuracy of such meter shall be determined by the use of standard meter provers designed and constructed for the purpose. (Prior code § 187-9)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 11-20-100 Disconnecting meters to be inspected.

11-20-100 Disconnecting meters to be inspected. Whenever a request shall be made to inspect any meter which is installed in any premises, the inspector of weights and measures shall notify the gas company owning the same to disconnect and detach such meter and convey the same to such place as he may direct for the purpose of making his inspection, and request the said gas company to install another meter in place of the one so removed for inspection and test. When a meter is removed for inspection and test thereof, a meter which has been tested and sealed as herein provided shall immediately be installed in place of the removed meter by the person furnishing the gas. (Prior code § 187-10)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 11-20-110 Representative at tests.

11-20-110 Representative at tests. Any person supplying gas to the city or its inhabitants, or any gas consumer, may at his option be represented at any test made of the gas meters supplied or used by the said person. (Prior code § 187-11)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 11-20-120 Time interval between tests.

11-20-120 Time interval between tests. No meter after having been once tested and sealed as herein provided shall be allowed to remain in service longer than seven years before being again tested and sealed, as herein provided. Any person furnishing gas to any consumer, whose meter shall not have been tested and sealed for a period of two years, shall, upon written request of such consumer and within 20 days after receipt of such request and without charge to such consumer, remove such meter and install in place thereof a meter which has been tested and sealed as herein provided. (Prior code § 187-12)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 11-20-130 Accuracy of meters.

11-20-130 Accuracy of meters. Any consumer's meter tested by the inspector of weights and measures shall be deemed to be correct if it registers not to exceed two percent above or below accuracy. Any meter found to be slow or fast shall be adjusted by the gas company owning such meter so as to bring it as close as practicable to accuracy within the limits herein specified before again being placed in service. (Prior code § 187-13)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 11-20-140 Testing new meters.

11-20-140 Testing new meters. Every meter which is to be used by any person for the measurement of gas furnished or supplied to any consumer in the city may be inspected and tested by or under supervision of the inspector of weights and measures in the same manner as is provided for the testing of meters upon complaint of a consumer, and if the meter is found to be as close to accuracy as it is practicable to determine the accuracy thereof and within the limits of one-half of one percent of absolute accuracy, the inspector of weights and measures shall seal the meter with some suitable seal or stamp indicating that said meter has been inspected and tested under his supervision and found to be registered accurately, and said seal shall specify the date upon which said inspection and test were made. (Prior code § 187-14)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 11-20-150 Testing meters at consumer's request.

11-20-150 Testing meters at consumer's request. It shall be the duty of the inspector of weights and measures to examine and test any gas meter furnished to any consumer of gas by any gas company furnishing gas for heating, power or illuminating purposes in this city whenever requested to do so by such consumer. Said inspection upon the request of a consumer shall be made whenever any consumer of gas furnished by a gas company in the city shall make a request to have any meter so furnished and installed on the premises of such consumer inspected for the purpose of ascertaining whether such meter registers correctly, and shall pay the fee hereinafter fixed. Before making any such test the inspector of weights and measures shall give notice to the person making application for such test, and also to the gas company whose meter is about to be tested, of the time and place where he intends to test such meter. Notice to the company shall be given in writing, sent by mail, to such gas company, at its principal office in the city, and notice shall be sent to such applicant in writing, by mail, addressed to the premises described in the application for such test. Such notice shall be mailed at least 24 hours before the time set for the test of such meter. The test of such meter shall be made by the inspector of weights and measures, or his duly authorized agent, at such place as he may designate in such notice or notices, and shall be made in such manner as to test thoroughly such meter with a view to ascertaining whether it registers accurately. (Prior code § 187-15)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 11-20-160 Fees.

11-20-160 Fees. Any person desiring the inspection of any gas meter within the city, as provided in Section 11-20-150, shall accompany the application for such inspection with a fee of one dollar which shall be paid to the city collector and for which such applicant shall obtain a receipt from the city collector showing such payment, which receipt shall describe the location of the gas meter to be inspected and shall contain the name of the person for whose benefit said gas meter was installed. Said receipt when presented to the inspector of weights and measures shall be his authority for making the inspection. If the result of any such inspection shall show any meter so inspected to be inaccurate, and to have registered in such a manner as to show a greater consumption of gas than was actually consumed or than actually flowed through such meter, the fee advanced by the person desiring such test shall be forthwith returned to such person, and such inspection shall be made without any cost or expense of any kind to him. The cost of making such inspection of any meter so found to be inaccurate shall be paid by the company furnishing gas through the same, and by whom or for whose benefit such meter was installed, and the amount of the fees as herein fixed for such inspection shall be paid by such company upon a bill being presented to it by the inspector of weights and measures with his certificate showing that such meter was found by him to be inaccurate. If the result of any inspection of any meter shall show such meter to be registering accurately as herein defined or to have registered a smaller amount of gas than actually flowed through such meter, in such case the expense of such inspection shall be paid for out of the fee required to be advanced by the person making application for such inspection, and no part of such fee shall in any case be returned to such applicant. (Prior code § 187-16)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 11-20-170 Inspection conclusive.

11-20-170 Inspection conclusive. The inspection and test herein provided for, to be made by the inspector of weights and measures, shall be conclusive, both upon the gas company owning such meter and the consumer in or upon whose premises such meter was installed, and the amount of gas flowing through such meter for a period of six months before the close of the month in which such meter shall be inspected shall be adjusted to be as if such meter had been during such six months in the same condition it was in at the time such inspection was made. (Prior code § 187-17)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 11-20-180 Tampering with meters or certificates.

11-20-180 Tampering with meters or certificates. No person shall alter or change any gas meter or register thereof with the intent to defraud any person, or shall tamper with or change any certificate issued by the inspector of weights and measures relating to the inspection of any gas meter for the purpose of defrauding any person. (Prior code § 187-18)

Source: City of Chicago, Municipal Code of Chicago (American Legal Publishing, codelibrary.amlegal.com)URL: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/chicago/latest/chicago_il/0-0-0-2657497Fetched: 10/24/2026