Explanatory Notes

Energy Act 2004

2004 CHAPTER 20

22 July 2004

Commentary on Sections

Chapter 4: Further Provisions about Regulation

Section 177: Modifications of standard conditions for funding appeals and references

442.This section gives the Secretary of State power, after consulting licence holders, to make an order amending gas and electricity licences to change the licence charges in order to fund the appeals mechanism provided for in sections 173 to 176, and the existing arrangements for licence modification references. It is intended to use this power in respect of appeals to allow GEMA to raise the funds it needs to pay the costs of an appeal as ordered by the Commission. Where an appeal is upheld this will consist of its own costs, possibly the costs of the appellant and the costs of the Competition Commission. It is intended to use this power in respect of licence condition references to give the Competition Commission, rather than GEMA, the discretion to allocate the Competition Commission’s costs in licence modification references. These costs will then be recovered by GEMA, after the Competition Commission has indicated the proportions that individual licensees should pay of the Competition Commission’s costs.