PHILIPSBURG--Utilities company NV GEBE does not currently conduct comprehensive, system-wide testing of all electricity and water meters, with investigations generally taking place when customers report suspected billing or consumption problems or when an issue is identified internally, according to Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina.
The information was provided in response to questions from Member of Parliament (MP) Egbert Doran about the accuracy of NV GEBE’s meters, the financial impact of potential discrepancies and measures to rebuild public confidence in the utility’s billing system.
According to the minister's response, GEBE’s digital smart electricity and water meters are calibrated by their respective manufacturers before installation and supplied under the manufacturers’ certification, specifications and warranty requirements. However, GEBE said it is not aware of a new comprehensive audit or testing exercise covering all electricity and water meters. Instead, GEBE’s current verification process is generally initiated on a case-by-case basis.
When an investigation order is issued, GEBE’s technical department examines the meter and its installation. Depending on the circumstances, this can involve technical measurements, an inspection of the meter and installation, installation of a control reference meter for comparison and, for electricity meters, the use of a power quality analyser.
The results are then evaluated to determine whether the meter is operating within the applicable tolerances. Mercelina stressed that an investigation or customer complaint does not automatically mean a meter is defective. A meter can remain in service if testing determines that it is functioning within the applicable tolerances, while meters found to require replacement can be removed and replaced.
There is currently no fixed periodic field-testing or recalibration interval for every smart meter. Mercelina said that once GEBE’s advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) system is fully operational, system-generated alerts and exception information could provide another way of identifying unusual meter conditions or consumption patterns.
This could allow GEBE to move from what is currently described as a predominantly reactive investigation process towards more proactive monitoring. Where an investigation establishes that a meter discrepancy affected a customer's bill, the account is adjusted according to GEBE’s procedures and general terms and conditions.
If a customer was overcharged, the appropriate amount is credited to the account and applied against outstanding or future bills. Where a customer was under-billed, the difference is debited to the account and becomes payable under the applicable conditions. Mercelina said both situations have historically occurred.
However, the ministry could not provide Parliament with verified figures for 2026 showing how many electricity and water meters were investigated, how many were found to be inaccurate or defective, how many customers were affected, or the total value of resulting credits and debits.
The minister said those figures would first have to be established through a verified review and reconciliation of GEBE’s investigation orders, change orders and associated billing records. The ministry also cautioned that an investigation order should not automatically be counted as a defective meter, since an investigation can determine that the meter was functioning correctly.
On the standards governing meters, Mercelina said GEBE procures electricity and water meters according to applicable technical specifications and recognised standards appropriate to the type and use of the meter.
For electricity meters, these include the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 62052 and IEC 62053 series, while the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) C12 family is also an established electricity metering framework. For water meters, the ministry referred to OIML R49 and ISO 4064, standards set by the International Organisation of Legal Metrology and the International Organization for Standardization respectively. GEBE also applies its own general terms and conditions, concession requirements and applicable technical and safety requirements, including relevant requirements of the Royal Netherlands Standardization Institute NEN where applicable.
The minister distinguished these metering standards from electrical installation and power-quality standards. NEN 1010, for example, primarily concerns electrical installation and safety requirements rather than the calibration accuracy of a revenue meter.
Responsibility for compliance is shared. Manufacturers are responsible for factory calibration and demonstrating conformity with applicable specifications and certifications, while GEBE is responsible for ensuring meters procured and accepted for installation meet its applicable technical and contractual requirements.
The minister also said qualified and accredited independent metrology laboratories can conduct electricity and water meter testing against recognised standards. Asked whether consumers with disputed meters could have them independently tested by a third party, the minister said such a system could be considered as an additional consumer-confidence measure and that the ministry would encourage NV GEBE to explore the possibility.
Any such system would need clear rules concerning testing standards, removal and sealing of meters, chain of custody, testing costs, meter-data confidentiality and the acceptance of independent test results. The minister said formal implementation would require technical, regulatory and legal review.
On the wider issue of confidence in GEBE’s billing system, the minister said rebuilding that confidence is primarily GEBE’s responsibility rather than that of government. As GEBE’s shareholder, however, Mercelina said government continues to hold the company accountable and that billing problems have been discussed at multiple shareholder meetings.
The minister said GEBE continues to work with customers who report discrepancies and is currently focused largely on collecting outstanding receivables from customers with overdue bills. Payment plans are presently available.
