20 May 2023 was World Metrology Day, commemorating the anniversary of the signing of the Metre Convention in 1875. To mark the occasion, the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM) and the International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML) issued a joint press release and Directors’ message.
Continue reading “BIPM and OIML issued joint press release and Directors’ message to mark World Metrology Day”Category: Consumer affairs
PHSO whitewashes my BEIS complaint about imperial units consultation
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) has investigated my complaint against the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and told me that they found nothing wrong with their consultation document or survey. BEIS has been widely criticised for its biased consultation and limited options for respondents, but these flaws were ignored by PHSO.
Continue reading “PHSO whitewashes my BEIS complaint about imperial units consultation”Beer glass sizes in Australia
Following the last article about the Australian system for beer glasses, we look at the Australian system for serving draught beer. In Australia, all beer glass sizes are defined in millilitres.
Continue reading “Beer glass sizes in Australia”Third of a pint, anyone?
Some goods must be sold in fixed sizes. These sizes are known as specified quantities. Draught beer and cider are the only products with specified quantities in non-metric units. If you want to order a glass of draught beer or cider, how many sizes up to (and including) one pint can a publican legally serve you? You will probably be surprised to hear the answer.
Continue reading “Third of a pint, anyone?”Ovo Energy’s units mix-up tripled couple’s energy bill
A couple were overcharged more than £10,000 on their energy bill over a period of six years when their energy supplier Ovo Energy mistook their metric readings as imperial. As a result of the mix-up between metric and imperial units, the couple were charged three times as much as they should have been charged for their energy.
Continue reading “Ovo Energy’s units mix-up tripled couple’s energy bill”Questions Government must answer about imperial units consultation
In June 2022, UKMA member Martin Vlietstra responded to the Government’s Imperial Units survey and downloaded his responses. Just over a week later, he downloaded his responses again and found that one of his responses seemed to have been changed behind his back and the option he picked to one question was removed. Despite the fact that the imperial units consultation ended on 26 August 2022, the Government have not yet published their analysis of the responses. When they do, they must answer some awkward questions about their botched consultation.
Continue reading “Questions Government must answer about imperial units consultation”PHSO initial response to my complaint about BEIS
After I exhausted the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy’s (BEIS) complaints procedure and they failed to acknowledge or do anything about their misleading imperial units consultation document or biased survey, I sent off my BEIS complaints form dated 31 October 2022 to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) via my MP. After many months, I got an initial response.
Continue reading “PHSO initial response to my complaint about BEIS”London City Airport recently scrapped 100 ml liquid rule, which still applies in airports worldwide.
On 4 April 2023, London City Airport scrapped the 100 ml liquid rule. 1 Since 2006, airports worldwide have insisted that travellers can only bring liquids in containers of up to 100 ml in their carry-on bag. 2 These days, we take it for granted that the 100 ml limit for liquids at international airports around the world is exactly the same quantity. This is a triumph for the metric system, which replaced many different national systems long ago. Before the metric system, the same unit names were used for different quantities in different national measurement systems and there was no common definition for these units. The worldwide 100 ml liquid rule shows the benefits of a world standard measurement system for international travellers (i.e., the metric system).
Continue reading “London City Airport recently scrapped 100 ml liquid rule, which still applies in airports worldwide.”Why the Metric Martyrs were wrong
Over twenty years ago, a group of market traders were prosecuted for using imperial measures (without showing the equivalent in metric units) and using unauthorised scales that could only measure in imperial units. Newspapers called this group the Metric Martyrs after Chris Howell, then weights and measures spokesman for the Institute of Trading Standards Administration (today the Trading Standards Institute), said that they could martyr themselves if they wanted to. As Ministers are thinking about allowing traders to choose imperial or metric units, we look at what is wrong with the Metric Martyrs’ arguments for freedom of choice in measurement usage.
Continue reading “Why the Metric Martyrs were wrong”UKWF issues warning about risks of REUL Bill
Yesterday, the UK Weighing Federation (UKWF) issued a briefing on the regulation of the UK weighing industry and the Retained EU Law Bill. This briefing emphasised the key role of weights and measures in all areas of industry and consumers’ everyday lives and also explained the serious consequences of lowering or complete removal of current regulatory standards.
Continue reading “UKWF issues warning about risks of REUL Bill”
Metric Views 