The Gas (Individual Standards of Performance) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2014

Meter disputes

3.—(1) This regulation applies where a gas conveyor is notified by a domestic customer or by the gas supplier in respect of the premises of a domestic customer—

(a) that the customer considers that an appropriate meter is or may have been operating outside the margins of error; or

(b) that circumstances exist which a gas conveyor might reasonably expect to have been caused by the appropriate meter operating outside the margins of error.

(2) Where this regulation and paragraph (3) apply, and the gas conveyor fails within the prescribed period from the applicable date to offer to visit the customer’s premises to investigate the matter during a specified time the gas conveyor shall, except in any of the circumstances described in paragraph (5), pay to the customer the prescribed sum.

(3) This paragraph applies where the gas conveyor is reasonably satisfied that he is unable to provide an explanation to the customer of the probable reason for the matters notified under paragraph (1) without visiting the customer’s premises.

(4) Where this regulation applies and the gas conveyor—

(a) where paragraph (3) applies, fails to visit the customer’s premises during the specified time at which the gas conveyor has offered to visit the customer under paragraph (2), he shall pay to the customer the prescribed sum; or

(b) where paragraph (3) does not apply, fails to dispatch to the customer an explanation of the probable reason for the matter notified under paragraph (1) within the prescribed period from the receipt of the notification he shall pay to the customer the prescribed sum,

except in either case in any of the circumstances described in paragraph (5).

(5) The circumstances described in this paragraph are each of the circumstances described in regulation 15 provided that, in relation to paragraph (6) of that regulation, the gas conveyor or gas supplier gave the customer not less than one working days prior warning (whether or not in writing) that he would be unable to visit during the specified time or the circumstances referred to in that paragraph occurred at a time when it was not reasonably practicable to give such a warning.

(6) Where a gas supplier is notified by a domestic customer to whose premises that gas supplier supplies gas—

(a) that the customer considers that an appropriate meter is or may have been operating outside the margins of error; or

(b) that circumstances exist which a gas supplier might reasonably expect to have been caused by the appropriate meter operating outside the margins of error,

the gas supplier shall notify the relevant gas conveyor of the details notified to the gas supplier by the relevant customer within the prescribed period.

(7) If the gas supplier fails, in the circumstances described in paragraph (1), within the prescribed period to notify the gas conveyor of the relevant details it shall, except in any of the circumstances described in regulation 3(5), pay to the customer the prescribed sum.