Section 1 Foreword and Terms
1.1 Purpose
The information contained in this book is presented for Architects’, Builders’, Contractors’, Developers’, Engineers’, Electricians’, Owners’, and others’ to use in planning electrical wiring and apparatus installations intended for connection to the lines of the North Little Rock Electric Dept. Current procedures, practices and requirements, adopted by NLRED to assure economical, and satisfactory service to Customers, consistent with the most recent version of the National Electrical Safety Code (NESC), are set forth and discussed herein. (Note: Any statement concerning the National Electrical Code (NEC) refers to Customer owned facilities.) Any mention of the NESC or the NEC indicates the basic provisions that are considered necessary for safety. Specific information regarding procedures that are available only in certain states can be found at the end of each section. This book is limited to information considered essential in planning installations which are adequate and satisfactory for the many uses and conveniences of electric service.
1.2 Service Contracts, Rate Schedules, and Contact Information
The following documents are not included within these Service Standards:
- Service Regulations (or Terms and Conditions) which prescribe the rules, obligations, and liabilities of the Company in providing service and the Customer in receiving electric service
- Rate Schedules which set the price, the periods of taking, and the payment terms for electric service
- Service Agreements wherein the Department and the Customer agree to specific quantities and types of service
The Departments’ currently approved Service Standards, Rate Schedules, Service Agreements, and other forms are available by contacting the Department.
The North Little Rock Electric Department (NLRED) can be contacted directly by phone Monday through Friday 8 am to 4:30 pm at (501) 975-8888. (Revised time 12-1-23)
1.3 Service Standards Availability and Revisions
The Service Standards are downloadable from the Department’s website at www.nlrelectric.com.
These Service Standards will be revised from time to time as new methods and improved equipment become available. This book will be re-issued periodically with all revisions included. Changes of policy made after the publication date, will be in effect despite the fact that they will not be in this document. If the issue date is over three years old, contact the Department to determine if this is the current edition or to obtain supplementary information.
1.4 General Terms Used In Service Standards
(Note: The terms defined in this section and in the next section are underlined throughout the document.)
Agreement for Service: See “Application”.
Application (or Agreement for Service or Contract): The agreement between the Department and the Customer under which service is taken. An agreement for service must be completed and appropriate deposits made at North Little Rock Utilities Accounting. Service rendered by the Department is subject to the provisions of applicable City ordinances, rate schedules, and these Service Standards. The supplying and taking of such service shall constitute an Agreement For Service.
Authorities (having jurisdiction): The agency or agencies having jurisdiction – an incorporated city or town, county/parish, agency of the State Government or the Federal Government, the National Board of Fire Underwriters, or others as appropriate.
Department: North Little Rock Electric Department, its management, agents or employees.
Department Designated Underground Areas: Those portions of the Department’s service area, defined by the Department, where overhead service is not available. This includes concentrations of commercial buildings with large loads that are not practical to serve with overhead facilities.
Department’s Installation: In general, all the wires, devices, or apparatus on the Department’s side of the point of delivery. Some equipment, such as devices installed for metering electric consumption or for demand side management, may belong to the Department, yet be installed on Customer’s side of the point of delivery.
Department Pole: Includes Department owned poles and poles occupied by Department under joint use agreements.
Department Specifications: The particular details developed by the Department as its standard, which may include specifications of manufacturers and regulatory bodies having jurisdiction.
Conduit System: Any combination of duct, conduit, conduits, manholes, handholds, and vaults joined to form an integrated whole.
Contract: See “Application”.
Customer: An individual, firm, partnership, association, corporation, organization, or governmental agency who is taking service as defined by regulatory authorities.
Customer’s Installation: In general, all the wires, appliances, devices or apparatus of any kind or character on the Customer’s side of the point of delivery except the meters, metering devices and facilities of the Department that may be located on the Customer’s side of the point of delivery. Customer’s wiring and electrical equipment within or on the premises shall be installed and maintained in accordance with all effective building and wiring codes, and local laws and ordinances.
Demand: The kW or kVA , as shown or computed from the readings of the Department’s demand meter installation, for the interval of the customer’s greatest use between readings. (This is also known as maximum demand.)
Electric Service: See “Service”.
Emergency Service: An additional, separate service, when required by regulatory authorities, for exit or emergency lighting, lift pumps, or to satisfy other safety regulations.
Inaccessible Area: Any area, as designated by Department, which would be difficult to enter for the purpose of conducting normal or emergency operations or maintenance.
Load: The amount of electric power delivered or required at any specified point or points on a system.
Mandatory Rules: The rulesof the Service Standards which are characterized by the use of the word “shall.”
Meter: A device or devices together with auxiliary equipment used for measuring any of the following: apparent, real, and reactive power and/or energy, which are supplied to any customer at a single point of delivery.
National Electric Code (NEC): The code adopted by the National Fire Protection Association, Inc. and American National Standards Institute as advisory information on the installation of electric facilities on private property. It is offered for the use in law and regulatory purposes in the interest of life and property protection.
National Electric Safety Code (NESC): The code adopted by the National Institute of Science and Technology in order to bring consistency and safety to the design, construction, operation and use of electric supply and communications installations.
Network Areas: Those designated portions of the Department’s service area which include concentrations of commercial buildings, and which are typically supplied by a secondary network underground distribution system.
Point of Delivery: The physical location where the customer’s service terminals or wires are joined to the Department’s facilities or such other point specifically designated by written agreement.
Public Property: Property dedicated to public use such as streets, alleys, canals, roadways, and highways. This does not include schools, parks, public housing, gyms, playgrounds, public buildings, etc., which are considered customer premises.
Rigid Metal Conduit: A raceway specially constructed for the purpose of the pulling in or the withdrawing of wire or cable after the conduit is in place and made of metal pipe of standard weight and thickness permitting the cutting of standard threads.
Rigid Non-metallic Conduit: Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), schedule 40, tube for enclosure of electrical wires and cables which includes associated equipment such as adapters, cable enclosures, couplings, junction boxes, pull boxes, etc., as required for a complete enclosure system. (Schedule 40 PVC must be manufactured per NEMA TC-2 standard.)
Service (or Electric Service): The availability of electric power and energy to the Customer, regardless of whether any power and energy is actually used. Supplying of service by the Department consists of its maintaining at the point of delivery the approximate nominal voltage and frequency by means of facilities adequate for supplying the Customer’s contracted load.
Service Conductors: The supply conductors that extend from the street main or from transformers to the service equipment of the premises supplied.
Service Drop: The overhead service conductors from the last pole or other aerial support to and including the splices, if any, connecting to the service-entrance conductors at the building or other structure.
Service Entrance: The Customer owned equipment for connecting to the service conductors or the service entrance conductors.
Service Entrance Conductors: (1) Overhead System: The service conductors between the terminals of the service equipment and a point usually outside the building, clear of building walls, where joined by tap or splice to the service drop.
(2) Underground System: The service conductors between the terminals of the service equipment and the point of connection to the service lateral.
Type of Service: The electrical or physical attributes of the service such as voltage, phase, frequency, transformer connection, number of wires, overhead or underground installation, etc.
Underground Service: The underground cable installation which connects the Department’s distribution system to the Customer’s service entrance conductors, or to the line side lugs of the meter enclosure.
1.5 Electrical Terms Used In Service Standards
Ampere: The unit of measurement of the rate of flow of electricity. It is the unit of current produced in a circuit by one volt acting through a resistance of one ohm.
Btu (British Thermal Unit): The quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit. Capacity of air conditioning, heating, or heat content of fuel, etc. is measured in Btu. Btu/h is the rate of heat change – Btu per hour.
Current: The rate of flow of electricity usually measured in amperes. The Department supplies alternating current (AC) and will not supply direct current (DC).
Energy: The total work done as distinguished from the rate of doing work (power), usually measured in kilowatt-hours. Its amount depends upon the power and the time that the power is taken. For instance, a power rate of one kilowatt maintained for one hour is one kilowatt-hour of energy.
Hertz: Cycles per second. For example, the Department furnishes 60 hertz alternating current.
Horsepower: A unit of power, equal to a rate of 33,000 foot pounds of work per minute. Motors are generally rated in horsepower to indicate the mechanical power they are designed to produce. One horsepower equals 746 watts. Motors require 746 watts input, plus losses, for each horsepower output.
Kilovolt-ampere: (kVA) 1,000 volt amperes, the unit of apparent power, volts times amperes, which is comprised of both real and reactive power.
Kilowatt: (kW) 1,000 watts.
Kilowatt-hour: (kWh) A quantity of electrical energy – equal to 1000 watts used continuously for one hour, or 100 watts used continuously for ten hours, or some other equivalent.
Number of Phases: See “Phase”.
Ohm: The unit of measurement of electrical resistance or impedance. It is that resistance through which one volt will produce a current of one ampere.
Phase (or Number of Phases): Term which designates characteristics of alternating current. It is a term used in the electric industry relating to the characteristics of the electrical service available or supplied at a given location or required for the operation of a given electrical device. Single phase is generally supplied for residences and small power customers and three phase is supplied for larger power customers.
Power: The time rate of doing work, generating, transferring, or using electric energy, usually expressed in kilowatts (kW).
Power Factor: The ratio of real power (kW) to apparent power (kVA) for any given load and time. Generally, power factor is expressed as a ratio and stated as a percentage.
Reactive-kilovolt-amperes: ( kVAR) (rkVA) (kilovar) The product of the applied voltage and the magnetizing or charging current, divided by 1,000. Reactive-kilovolt-amperes do no work but must be supplied to magnetic equipment, such as motors. It is supplied by generators or capacitors.
Sag (Voltage sag): A decrease in RMS voltage at the power frequency for durations of 0.5 cycles to 1 minute. Typical values are 0.1 to 0.9 per unit.
Volt: A unit of electrical pressure or potential or electromotive force which if applied to a load of one ohm resistance will cause a current of one ampere to flow. Primary distribution and transmission voltages are usually designated in kilovolts (kV). One kilovolt is equal to 1,000 volts.
Voltage: See “volt”.
Watt: An electrical unit of power. Electrical appliances and lamps are rated in watts to indicate their capacity or rate of using power for doing work. A 100 watt
lamp used 10 hours will use one kilowatt-hour (kWh) of energy (1,000 watt-hours). Likewise a household iron rated at 1,000 watts will use one kilowatt-hour in one hour.
1.6 Enforcement
These service standards will be enforced through the denial of electric service, in addition to any other remedy that may be available at law or equity. Any violation of service standards that presents an imminent threat to the health or safety of any person or structure will result in the immediate disconnection of service, without notice or process, until such time that the violation is cured and validated.