Definitions

AMI (Advanced Metering Infrastructure): Refers to broadcasting meters used throughout Central Lincoln’s service territory.

Central Lincoln or District: Refers to Central Lincoln People’s Utility District, unless specifically indicated otherwise.

Clearance: An obstruction-free distance between two objects.

Conduit: A listed or approved pipe with a smooth interior surface to permit easy installation of the electrical conductors. In accordance with codes and Central Lincoln standards, a conduit may be metallic or nonmetallic, depending on its usage. PVC is recommended, unless galvanized steel is required by the governing road agency.

Connected Load: The sum of the rated capacities of all customers’ equipment that can be connected to Central Lincoln’s lines at one point of delivery.

Contiguous: Structures, buildings, enclosures, or free-standing facilities which are connected in some manner so as to be construed as a single entity, whether or not internally divided into separate apartments, suites, offices, shops, or other separately occupied spaces. Also, land which shares a common boundary and is not separated by street, roadway, or other property or space under separate ownership, rental or lease.

Contribution: Defined as a payment made by a customer to Central Lincoln in aid of construction, such payment giving the customer no right or title to any of the facilities installed in the project constructed.

Corrosion Inhibitor: Electrical joint compound used to retard oxidation of electrical connections.

Customer: Refers to the individual, business or organization using or desiring electrical service.

Customer Service Representative: The designated representative of Central Lincoln, responsible for coordination of new or revised services to Central Lincoln customers. The customer service representative responds to inquiries on policies, standards, practices, rates, and energy utilization.

Down Guy: Cables or braces used to support the strain of overhead conductors.

Drip Loop: A loop formed in overhead secondary conductors at the weatherhead to prevent the entrance of water into the service entrance conduit and equipment.

Electric Service: The furnishing, or readiness to furnish, electric power or energy, at the voltage, and for the purpose specified in the Application for Service or contract, and at any Rate Schedule or Schedules that may apply.

Electrical Inspection Agency: The qualified representative of a city, county or the State of Oregon, who has been authorized by governmental agencies to inspect electric service installations on the jurisdiction’s behalf.

Energy: The amount of electricity used, expressed as kilowatt hours (kWh), and measured for billing on a kilowatt hour meter.

Guying: The process of installing cables or braces to support the strain of overhead conductors.

Interval Power Factor: Determined by the following formula:

Interval PF = KWH divided by the square root of (KWH^2 + KVARH^2)

Kilowatt (kW): a unit of power equal to 1,000 watts or 1.341 horsepower.

Kilowatt Hour (kWh): 1,000 watts of energy delivered for one hour (equal to 3412.8 BTUs).

Listed: Equipment or material accepted by a nationally recognized testing laboratory, inspection agency, or other organization concerned with product evaluation. Such organizations maintain periodic production inspections of listed equipment and materials, and state that the items have been tested and found suitable in a specified manner.

Link-Style Bypass: A provision for paralleling the meter circuit, allowing the meter to be removed without interrupting service to the customer.

Load: The power requirement, usually measured in kilowatts, of a system or a piece of equipment at a given instant, on the average rate of energy use during any designated short period of time.

Load Factor: The ratio of the average load to the maximum load for any given period of time.

Manual Meter Read Fee: A charge for customers who have opted out of automatic meter reading to cover the monthly cost, including wages and mileage, of reading the meter.

Maximum Demand: The highest 15-minute average power use in the billing month as determined by computation, or by suitable indication or recording instruments.

Meter: The instrument used for measuring the energy or power delivered to the customer.

Meter Base: The mounting device consisting of meter jaws, connectors, and enclosures for accommodating socket-type meters and which is owned and maintained by the customer.

Meter Equipment: Any equipment associated with measuring electric energy.

Meter Jaw: A spring-loaded receptacle installed inside the meter base, interfacing the terminals of the meter to the source and load conductors of the service.

Meter Pedestal: A meter pedestal is a structure that supports service equipment and is owned and maintained by the customer.

Meter Pole: A pole that supports the metering equipment owned and maintained by the customer.

Month: Defined (except where calendar month is stated) as the period between Central Lincoln’s scheduled monthly meter reads upon which the customer’s demand and consumption of electrical energy are computed and bills rendered.

NEC/NESC: National Electric Code, National Electric Safety Code, State of Oregon Specialty Code and other local, state and federal applicable requirements. Together these documents form the body of third party standards and regulations that govern electric power and communication system infrastructure, operation and maintenance practice, including power substations, power and communication overhead lines, and power and communication underground lines. The NEC governs the installation of the customer’s equipment. The NESC has jurisdiction over Central Lincoln’s equipment.

Neutral: Grounded conductor in a single-phase, three-wire or three-phase, four-wire system. The service conductor that is at zero potential to ground.

Point of Delivery/Demarcation (Commercial): The point where electricity is to be delivered to the customer, generally at the transformer lugs, unless otherwise specified by Central Lincoln.

Point of Delivery/Demarcation (Residential): The point at which Central Lincoln’s service wire and the customer’s conductors are connected, either at the weatherhead for overhead or the service hand hole for underground. The hand hole shall be within 10 feet of the meter base.

Power: The rate of use of electricity is expressed in kilowatts (kW), and is measured for billing on a demand meter.

Premises: An area of land and/or property, and any structure or development thereon, under single ownership, whether individual, corporation, partnership, or other cooperative right, and undivided by property, street, roadway, or other space under separate ownership, rental or lease.

Seal: The locking device used to secure the meter and/or service entrance equipment to assure safety and security for the unit.

Select Backfill: Native soil or soil brought in from another area, free from sharp objects, rocks, scrap building material and corrosive material.

Self-Contained: In reference to meter bases – a device designed and rated to continuously carry the entire capacity of service entrance equipment. The maximum self-contained meter base current rating approved by Central Lincoln is 400 amperes (also called a single-phase Class 320 A meter).

Service Drop: The span of wire or cable between Central Lincoln’s pole and/or other equipment and the point of delivery on the customers building or structure.

Service Entrance: The wire and equipment furnished, owned and maintained by the customer between the point of delivery on the customers building or structure and the customers equipment.

Service Entrance Conductors: The conductors which extend between the customer’s meter base and the point of delivery.

Service Entrance Equipment: Service conduit, conductors, weatherhead, meter base, enclosures, service disconnect and service panel.

Service Hand Hole: Open-bottomed junction box with removable lid that provides for installation and maintenance of electrical connectors between Central Lincoln service wire and customer-owned service entrance wire.

Service Mast: The conduit above the meter used to provide mechanical protection for the service conductors and to support the service drop from Central Lincoln’s system.

Service Wire: The conductors from Central Lincoln’s system to the point of delivery, which can be overhead or underground.

Temporary Service: An electrical service installed by Central Lincoln to provide power to a customer on a temporary basis (less than one year).

UL (Underwriter’s Laboratories): A nationally recognized test laboratory which lists materials that have been tested and approved.