Can I bill a propane customer from a tank monitor reading?
Can I bill a propane customer from a tank monitor reading?
For a metered bulk fill, use the approved meter and sales record your state requires. A change in the tank monitor’s percent is a different record. Before you bill from a new device or method, take it to your state weights-and-measures office for review.
For a metered bulk fill, use the approved meter and sales record your state requires. A change in the tank monitor’s percent is a different record. Before you bill from a new device or method, take it to your state weights-and-measures office for review.
- For a metered bulk fill, use the approved meter and sales record your state requires.
- TankSpotter is the field-records app your crew carries; it has no sensors on the tank.
What is the difference between a level and a delivery quantity?
A level report shows a reading at a tank at one point in time. The delivery meter measures fuel as it goes to the customer. Keep those two records clear in the office. A monitor can help you decide when to send a truck. That does not make its percent change the record for a metered sale.
Tie each record to the right tank and event. If a customer asks about billed gallons, staff should be able to find the sales record for that fill.
What does Handbook 44 actually require?
NIST Handbook 44, Section 3.32 covers LPG liquid-measuring devices. S.1.1.2 lists delivery units. Under UR.2.6, truck-mounted meter systems must record all sales through the meter. Give the customer a copy at delivery, or as the customer otherwise specifies. The section excludes mass-flow meters, which have a separate code.
Ask your state office which edition, changes and device approvals apply. This code is not a blanket federal ruling on every sensor-based sale.
How should the office evaluate a proposed billing change?
Get the state office’s answer before you change invoices. We suggest this review:
1. Describe the sale and how you plan to measure it.
2. Name the device and the quantity it reports.
3. Ask which approvals and records apply.
4. Trace a test sale from the device to the customer’s copy.
5. Keep the approved process where billing staff can find it.
A vendor’s accuracy claim is useful to check. It does not replace approval for the sale you plan to make.
Which record should staff use?
| Record | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Tank-level report | A planning input with a measurement time. |
| Approved delivery measurement | Quantity for the metered sale under applicable rules. |
| Field work form | Documentation of the person’s visit and work. |
What sources support this answer?
- NIST: 2026 Handbook 44, Section 3.32 — S.1.1.2 and UR.2.6; LPG measurement units and vehicle-mounted meter sales records.
- PERC: data, monitoring and control — Tank-level telemetry and delivery-planning role.
What is the next step?
First, take the proposed billing device and sales record to your state weights-and-measures office for review.
Related reading: Keep the inspection record distinct from a remote level report. Browse all operator answers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I turn a percent change directly into billed gallons?
Do not use that math in place of an approved delivery measurement without your state office’s review. Take the exact device and sales method to it. A change in level is not the same record as fuel measured through a delivery meter.
Does Handbook 44 apply identically everywhere?
Check the edition and changes your state uses. NIST publishes the device code, but this page does not claim every state uses it the same way. Ask the state weights-and-measures office what applies to your device and the sale you want to make.
What does UR.2.6 say about customer records?
It calls for truck-mounted meter systems to record sales made through the meter. The customer gets a copy at delivery or as the customer otherwise specifies. Check the full rule and your state’s terms when you review how that copy is made and supplied.
Does this answer confirm TankSpotter prints a legal meter ticket?
No. Check the meter, register and printed or electronic record for your setup. Have the supplier and state office review the whole path. A field form and a meter sales record do different jobs. Do not assume either one approves the other.
Can a monitor still help with billing questions?
Keep the level report as context with its time and tank ID. Use the required sales record for the billed fill. Staff can then explain which record shows the level and which shows the sale. A helpful planning screen is not proof of an approved sales meter.
Reviewed: 2026-10-17. By the TankSpotter team. Office guidance, not legal advice or field training. Check the rules for your work with your regulator and qualified trainer.