Propane Market Metrics: Navigating the propane ATC mandate

April 22, 2026 By LP Gas 0 Comments

Source: Based on Propane Industry Guidance for NIST Handbook 130 Compliance (2026)

Commentary by Gary Bozigar, director of propane technologies at Bergquist Inc.

The 2026 NIST Handbook 130 mandate for automatic temperature compensation (ATC) on low-flow liquid propane meters came out earlier this year.

Starting Jan. 1, any new, replaced or reinstalled meter with a flow rate of 20 gallons per minute or less must be equipped with ATC. Thanks to industry advocacy, propane marketers in adopting states now have an extended runway until Jan. 1, 2034, to retrofit existing in-service meters.

While this extension provides valuable flexibility to spread out capital expenditures across multiple budget cycles, it is important to remember that it is not a permanent grandfathering clause.

The accompanying infographic shows that ATC ensures measurement equity by adjusting propane volume to the 60 degrees F national reference temperature, creating a true gallon regardless of ambient weather conditions.

Propane marketers should use this extended timeline strategically to evaluate their equipment. They will need to decide if an ATC retrofit kit – typically costing between $1,700 and $3,000 – makes sense for relatively new meters or if full replacement is a wiser long-term investment for older assets. Delaying upgrades until 2032 or 2033 risks exposing their operations to supply chain bottlenecks, limited kit availability and technician shortages.

The most proactive approach is to inventory their low-flow meters today and build a multi-year upgrade plan well before the deadline.