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

Pre-payment meters

5.—(1) This regulation applies where a gas conveyor is notified by—

(a) a domestic customer who takes his supply through a pre-payment meter; or

(b) the gas supplier in respect of the premises of a domestic customer who takes his supply through a pre-payment meter,

that the domestic customer’s pre-payment meter is not operating so as to permit a supply to the customer’s premises in the manner for which the pre-payment meter was designed, or of circumstances suggesting that the pre-payment meter is not so operating.

(2) For the purposes of paragraph (1), where information is received by a gas conveyor outside working hours it shall be deemed to have been received at the commencement of the next following period of working hours.

(3) Where, within the prescribed period from the applicable date, an appropriate person fails to attend at the premises where the pre-payment meter is installed in order to repair or replace the pre-payment meter so as to permit a supply in the manner for which it was designed, the gas conveyor shall, except in any of the circumstances described in paragraph (4), pay to the customer the prescribed sum.

(4) The circumstances described in this paragraph are—

(a) each of the circumstances described in regulation 15;

(b) that the customer requested the gas conveyor not to attend the premises;

(c) that the customer requested the gas conveyor not to restore the supply; and

(d) that the pre-payment meter was found to be operating in the manner for which it was designed.

(5) In this regulation “appropriate person” means a person employed or authorised by a gas conveyor to repair and replace pre-payment meters.

(6) Where a gas supplier is notified by a domestic customer who takes his supply through a pre-payment meter that the domestic customer’s pre-payment meter is not operating so as to permit a supply to the customer’s premises in the manner for which the pre-payment meter was designed, or of circumstances suggesting that the pre-payment meter is not so operating, 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 (6), within the prescribed period to notify the gas conveyor of the relevant details it shall, except in any of the circumstances described in paragraph (8), pay to the customer the prescribed sum.

(8) The circumstances described in this paragraph are—

(a) each of the circumstances described in regulation 15;

(b) that the customer requested to the gas supplier or gas conveyor that the gas conveyor should not attend the premises;

(c) that the customer requested to the gas supplier or the gas conveyor that the gas conveyor should not restore the supply; and

(d) that the pre-payment meter was found to be operating in the manner for which it was designed.