WILLIAM DONALD SCHAEFER, Governor                   Ch. 401

Article 78 - Public Service Commission Law

Section 51

Annotated Code of Maryland

(1980 Replacement Volume and 1986 Supplement)

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:

Article 78 - Public Service Commission Law

51.

(a)  A person may not furnish or put in use for revenue
billing purposes any gas meter or any electric meter unless it
has been authorized by the Commission. Every gas and electric
company shall maintain in an appropriate place a suitable
apparatus, approved, and stamped or marked by the Commission, for
testing the accuracy of gas and electric meters furnished by it
for use. On the written request of any consumer, his meter shall
be tested thereby, in his presence if he desires.

(b)  (1) The Public Service Commission may not authorize a
gas company, an electric company, or a gas and electric company
to service any new residential multiple occupancy building on
which construction begins after July 1, 1978 or any new shopping
center on which construction begins after July 1, 1985 unless the
building or shopping center has individual metered service, OR
SUBMETERING AS PROVIDED FOR UNDER § 54G OF THIS ARTICLE, for each
occupancy unit or shopping center unit that is individually
leased or owned. However, subject to rules and regulations
established by the Commission, it may authorize service to the
new shopping center or a new residential multiple occupancy
building by a gas company, an electric company, or a gas and
electric company for central heating and cooling systems, or any
combination of them when such service has been shown to the
satisfaction of the Commission to result in a substantial net
saving of energy used by these systems over the energy saving
that would result from individual metering, OR SUBMETERING AS
PROVIDED UNDER § 54G OF THIS ARTICLE. The service restrictions
of this subsection do not apply to central hot water.

(2) The application of the service restrictions of
this subsection to new units constructed, managed, operated,
developed, or subsidized by a local housing authority as
established under Article 44A may be waived by the Commission
upon the determination that the utility systems utilized in the
building will result in a substantial net saving of energy used
by these systems over the energy saving that would result from
individual metering, OR SUBMETERING AS PROVIDED UNDER § 54G OF
THIS ARTICLE.

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