Section 410.10  Definitions

            "Acceptance testing" means the approval of a group of meters based on statistical testing procedures.

            "Act" means the Public Utilities Act [220 ILCS 5].

            "Alternative retail electric supplier" or "ARES" means the same as that term is defined in Section 16-102 of the Act [220 ILCS 5/16-102].

            "Answer time" means a measurement from the point the last digit of the entity's telephone number is dialed or, if a menu-driven system is used, from the point the last menu digit is dialed by the subscriber and the call is answered by the entity.

            "Applicant" means anyone who requests a line extension from an entity providing distribution services.

            "Average error" means the difference between 100% and the average percent registration as defined in Section 410.150(d).

            "Billing multiplier" means the number by which a meter register reading is multiplied to obtain actual usage data. The billing multiplier shall include the transformer multiplier and meter multiplier, if applicable.

            "Commission" means the Illinois Commerce Commission.

            "Commission referee test" means the accuracy test of any customer's electric meter made in the presence of one or more members of Commission Staff.

            "Complaint" means an objection made to an entity, by a customer or another entity, as to its charges, facilities or service, the disposal of which complaint requires investigation or analysis.

            "Creep" means a continuous apparent accumulation of energy in a meter with voltage applied and the load terminals open circuited.

            "Customer" has the same meaning as "retail customer."

            "Demand" means the electric consumption at the point of delivery measured over a specified interval of time in order to estimate the instantaneous electric load.

            "Deposit" means an amount paid by an applicant for service to an entity providing distribution services that is intended to cover any line extension expenses that exceed the free limits allowed.

            "Electric cooperative" means the same as that term is defined in Section 3.4 of the Electric Supplier Act [220 ILCS 30/3.4].

            "Electric utility" means the same as that term is defined in Section 16-102 of the Act [220 ILCS 5/16-102].

            "Entity" means each electric utility while providing services within its service area, each electric utility while providing electric power and energy outside its service area, any ARES providing services subject to this Part, and any electric cooperative or municipal system but only when it provides services as an ARES outside its service territory.

            "Instrument transformer" means a transformer used for metering that reproduces in its secondary circuit, in a definite and known proportion, the voltage or current of its primary circuit, with the phase relation substantially preserved.

            "Meter multiplier" means the number (other than 1) by which the meter register reading is multiplied to obtain meter data not adjusted for the effect of instrument transformation on the calculated amount of actual usage.

            "Meter shop" means a facility containing equipment used by an entity for determining the accuracy of meters.

            "Metering service" means the performance of functions related to the provision, installation, testing, maintenance, repair and reading of electric meters used for billing of retail customers and maintaining meter usage data as well as the maintenance and management of meter information and meter data with respect to those meters.

            "Municipal system" means any public utility owned and operated by any political subdivision or municipal corporation of the State of Illinois, or owned by such and operated by its lessees or agents.

            "Phase-shifting transformer" means an assembly of one or more transformers intended to be connected to a poly-phase circuit so as to provide voltages in the proper phase relations for energizing metering equipment.

            "Point of delivery" means the point at which the entity providing distribution facilities connects its lines or equipment to the lines or facilities owned or rented by the customer, without regard to the location or ownership of transformers, substations or meters, unless otherwise provided for by written contract or tariffs.

            "Portable standards" means instruments (e.g., watt-hour meters, voltmeters, and ammeters) that are used outside the meter shop to test customer meters.

            "Reference standards" means instruments (e.g., watt-hour meters, voltmeters, and ammeters) that are used only for verifying the accuracy of working or portable standards, and whose accuracy is traceable back to the national standard maintained by the National Institute of Standards and Technology or its successor.

            "Retail customer" means the same as that term is defined in Section 16-102 of the Act [220 ILCS 5/16-102].

            "Service watt-hour meter" means an electricity meter used for billing retail customers and maintaining meter usage data that measures and registers the integral, with respect to time, of the real power that flows in the circuit to which the meter is connected. This also includes meters that measure demand in watts or volt-amperes.

            "Test amps" means the electrical current used during meter accuracy testing as designated by the manufacturer and displayed on the meter.

            "Transformer multiplier" means the product of the current transformer ratio multiplied by the potential transformer ratio when instrument transformers are part of a metering installation.

            "Var-hour meter" means an electricity meter that measures and registers the integral, with respect to time, of the reactive power of the circuit in which it is connected. This includes meters that measure demand in vars.

            "Working standards" means instruments (e.g., test benches and demand boards) that are used in meter shops to test the accuracy of customer meters.