SKNBS Introduces New Equipment to Benefit Both Utility Suppliers and Consumers

The St. Kitts and Nevis Bureau of Standards is adding verification of meters to its list of services, says I-ron Audain, chemist and Head of Metrology at SKNBS, adding that this new verification process will benefit both Consumers and utility providers.

SKNBS, under the Metrology Act of 2012, conducts verification of fuel pumps and supermarket scales. The addition of this new verification service is part of the bureau’s mandate to protect the consumer.

Recently, SKNBS held a one day workshop to commission the new equipment that will aid in the verification of household electrical meters.

The St. Kitts Electricity Company, the Nevis Electricity Company, and the Consumer Affairs Department were all present at Monday’s training session.

Mr. Audain said “the importance is that most of our economies are based on energy; we use energy in the manufacturing sector; we use energy to power everything so there has to be a third party, which is in this case the SKNBS, that could reassure customers that if they pay for one kilowatt of power, they are actually getting a kilowatt of power,” he said.

The tester is used to verify whether the meter is accurately measuring energy and accurately recording them.