The Electricity Supply (Amendment) Regulations 1990

Statutory Instruments

1990 No. 390

ELECTRICITY

The Electricity Supply (Amendment) Regulations 1990

Made

28th February 1990

Laid before Parliament

6th March 1990

Coming into force

31st March 1990

The Secretary of State, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by sections 29 and 60 of the Electricity Act 1989(1), hereby makes the following Regulations:—

Citation and commencement

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Electricity Supply (Amendment) Regulations 1990 and shall come into force on 31st March 1990.

Amendment of the Electricity Supply Regulations 1988

2.  The Electricity Supply Regulations 1988(2) shall have effect subject to the amendments contained in the Schedule hereto.

John Wakeham

Secretary of State for Energy

28th February 1990

Regulation 2

SCHEDULE AMENDMENTS TO THE ELECTRICITY SUPPLY REGULATIONS 1988

AMENDMENTS TO PART I

1.  For regulation 2(1) (application of regulations) there shall be substituted the following paragraph—

“(1) These Regulations apply to any supplier, supplier’s works or supply; regulation 26 also applies to any person who provides energy to or whose electric lines are used to provide energy to his own installation, and regulations 38 and 39 also apply to any consumer, but subject to the following provisions of this regulation—

(a) regulations 7(1)(a) (except insofar as it relates to paragraphs (4) to (6)), 7(2), 7(2A), 7(3) and 7(3A) shall not apply in relation to supplier’s works where those works were brought into use on or before 30th March 1990;

(b) regulations 7(8)(b), 7(9), 9, 15(2), 16, 20(2)(b)(i) and 26 shall not apply in relation to supplier’s works or supplies where those works were brought into use or supplies commenced on or before 30th September 1988; and

(c) the proviso to regulation 25(1)(c) shall not apply to any supplier’s works brought into use on or before 31st December 1936.”

2.  In regulation 3(1) (interpretation)—

(a) for the definition of “apparatus” there shall be substituted the following definition—

• ““apparatus” includes plant, equipment, meters, lines and appliances used or intended to be used for carrying electricity for the purposes of supplying or using energy;”;

(b) in the definition of “consumer” sub-paragraph (a) shall be deleted;

(c) for the definition of “distributing main” there shall be substituted the following definition—

““distributing main” means an electric line through which energy is supplied or intended to be supplied by a supplier to service lines or directly to a single consumer;”;

(d) for the definition of “electric line” there shall be substituted the following definition—

““electric line” means any line which is used or intended to be used for carrying electricity for any purpose and includes, unless the context otherwise requires—

(a) any apparatus connected to any such line for the purpose of carrying electricity;

(b) any wire, cable, tube, pipe, insulator or other similar thing (including its casing or coating) which surrounds or supports, or is surrounded or supported by, or is installed in close proximity to, or is supported, carried or suspended in association with, any such line;”;

(e) the definition of “Electricity Board” shall cease to have effect;

(f) in the definition of “neutral conductor” for the word “transmission” there shall be substituted the word “carrying”;

(g) in the definition of “phase conductor” for the word “transmission” there shall be substituted the word “carrying”;

(h) in the definition of “service line” after the words “from a distributing main” there shall be inserted the words “to a single consumer” and after the words “from the premises of the supplier” there shall be added the words “to a single consumer;”;

(i) in the definition of “supplier” for the words “the person generating the supply” there shall be substituted the words “that person”;

(j) in the definition of “supply” the words “with or” shall be deleted and after the words “of energy to” there shall be inserted the words “apparatus or to”.

AMENDMENTS TO PART II

3.  For regulation 4(2) (continuity of the supply neutral conductor and earthing connections) there shall be substituted the following paragraph—

“(2) Except pursuant to an arrangement made under Schedule 3, no supplier shall introduce any fuse or automatic switching device into any supply neutral conductor or any earthing connection of a low voltage system.”

4.  In regulation 7 (protective multiple earthing)—

(a) for paragraphs (1) to (3) there shall be substituted the following paragraphs—

“(1) Where a consumer’s installation has or is intended to have protective multiple earthing, the supplier—

(a) shall connect the supply neutral conductor of the associated main or the associated branch with earth only in accordance with the requirements either of paragraphs (2) and (2A) or paragraphs (3) and (3A), and with the requirements and provisions of paragraphs (4) to (6); and

(b) shall not connect or permit the connection of or continue a supply to any part of the consumer’s installation unless he is satisfied so far as is reasonably practicable that the installation complies with the requirements of paragraphs (7) to (10), but nothing in sub-paragraph (a) shall be construed as requiring the supplier to remove any connection of the supply neutral conductor of the associated main or the associated branch with earth made prior to the connection referred to in that sub-paragraph.

(1A) In this regulation—

“associated main” means the distributing main to which the consumer’s installation which has or is intended to have protective multiple earthing is connected directly or by a service line;

“associated branch” means the branch to which the consumer’s installation which has or is intended to have protective multiple earthing is connected directly or by a service line;

“branch” means a secondary distributing main from its end furthest from the source of voltage to its junction with the principal part of the distributing main;

“protective multiple earthing” means the use of a supply neutral conductor to connect a circuit protective conductor with earth.

(2) Where—

(a) the associated branch is no more than 40 metres in length; and

(b) no more than three other consumer’s installations are connected to the associated branch, the supply neutral conductor of the associated main shall be connected with earth in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (2A).

(2A) The connection with earth referred to in paragraph (2) shall be no nearer to the source of voltage (measured along the associated main) than the junction of that main—

(a) with the associated branch; or

(b) with any branch which

(i) is no more than 40 metres in length, and

(ii) to which no more than four consumer’s installations, at least one of which has or is intended to have protective multiple earthing, is or are connected by service lines to that branch, and which is furthest from the source of voltage.

(3) Where—

(a) the associated main or the associated branch is more than 40 metres in length; or

(b) more than three other consumer’s installations are connected by service lines to the associated main or the associated branch, the supply neutral conductor of the associated main or the associated branch shall be connected with earth in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (3A).

(3A) The connection with earth referred to in paragraph (3) shall be no nearer to the source of voltage (measured along that associated main, or associated branch and associated main) than the junction between that main or branch and

(a) the service line of the consumer’s installation, or

(b) if more than one consumer’s installation referred to in paragraph (3)(b) has or is intended to have protective multiple earthing, the service line of such consumer’s installation which is furthest from the source of voltage.”;

(b) for paragraph 8(a) there shall be substituted the following sub-paragraph—

“(a) any circuit protective conductor in a consumer’s installation to which this regulation applies shall be connected to the earthing terminal of that installation by means other than the consumer’s neutral conductor.”

AMENDMENT TO PART IV

5.  In regulation 16 (insulators in stay wires) at the beginning there shall be inserted the words “Except where the support is a lattice steel structure or other structure entirely of metal, connected to earth and carrying conductors operating at a nominal voltage of 132,000 volts or above, and where the stay wire is itself electrically connected to that support,”.

AMENDMENT TO PART V

6.  In regulation 23(2) (precautions against supply failure) at the beginning there shall be inserted the words “Subject to regulation 32,”.

AMENDMENTS TO PART VI

7.  For regulation 25(5) (supplier’s works on consumer’s premises) there shall be substituted the following paragraph—

“(5) The supplier shall permanently mark the separate conductors of low voltage electric lines which are connected to supply terminals as close as practicable to those terminals so as clearly to identify each conductor.”

8.  In regulation 29 (notices and determination of differences)—

(a) for paragraph (1) there shall be substituted the following paragraph—

“(1) In any case where in pursuance of these Regulations a supplier refuses to commence or to continue a supply to a consumer’s installation or to a part thereof or to connect or reconnect a consumer’s installation with his electric lines—

(a) the supplier shall as soon as practicable give to the consumer notice in writing of such refusal and the reasons therefor;

(b) any difference which may arise between the consumer and the supplier with regard to the consumer’s installation, the refusal or the notice shall be determined by a person appointed by the Secretary of State on the application of the consumer or the supplier and such person may make a direction as to whether any or all of the costs of such determination (including any fees or expenses payable to him) shall be borne by the supplier or the consumer.”;

(b) paragraph (4) shall be deleted.

9.  In regulation 30(1)(a) (declaration of phases, etc) the words “and rotation” shall be deleted.

10.  For regulation 32 (provision of constant supply) there shall be substituted the following regulation—

“Interruptions of supply

32.   Any public electricity supplier may discontinue a supply for the purposes of testing or for any other purpose connected with the carrying on of the activities which he is authorised by his licence to carry on: Provided that the supply may be discontinued only for such period as may be necessary subject (except where the public electricity supplier is prevented from doing so by circumstances not within his control) to giving not less than two days' notice to all consumers likely to be affected by the discontinuance.”

AMENDMENTS TO PART VII

11.  In regulation 34 (notification of specified events)—

(a) in paragraph (2)(a) for the words “generation, transformation, control, distribution or supply” there shall be substituted the words

“generating, transforming, control or carrying”;

(b)

in paragraph (5) after the words “death reportable under paragraph 2 (a)(i)” there shall be inserted the words “or any serious injury reportable under paragraph (2)(a)(ii)”;

(c)

at the end there shall be inserted the following paragraph—

“(6) In this regulation—

“serious injury” means any injury which results in the person injured being admitted into hospital as an in-patient.”

12.  In regulation 36 (maps of supplier’s works underground), paragraph (4) shall cease to have effect.

13.  In regulation 39 (offences), for the words “guilty of an offence under section 16 of the Energy Act 1983” there shall be substituted the words “liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale.”

AMENDMENTS TO SCHEDULE 1

14.  In Schedule 1 (design, colours and proportions of the safety sign)—

(a) for paragraph 1 there shall be substituted the following paragraph—

“1.   A safety sign shall incorporate a design as shown and of the proportions as shown in the diagram below, except that the height of the text may be increased to a maximum of 0.12L.”;

(b) for paragraph 4 there shall be substituted the following paragraph—

“4.   A safety sign may include additional text but any such text—

(a) shall be in black; and

(b) shall be the same size as the text used on the safety sign, and no part of any additional text shall appear on the sign higher than the base of the triangle.”

AMENDMENTS TO SCHEDULE 2

15.  In Schedule 2 (minimum height of overhead lines)—

(a) after the heading “Column 1” there shall be added “—Nominal Voltages”;

(b) in column 1, last line, for the figure “440,000” there shall be substituted the figure “400,000”.

AMENDMENTS TO SCHEDULE 4

16.  In Schedule 4 (notice of specified events)—

(a) in Part I—

(i) paragraph 6 shall be deleted;

(ii) for paragraph 8(b) there shall be substituted the following sub-paragraph—

“(b) specify apparatus at site of event, whether overhead lines, underground lines, distributing mains or service lines. If other, specify.”

(b) in Part III—

(i) for paragraph 7(b) there shall be substituted the following sub-paragraph—

“(b) specify apparatus at site of event, whether overhead lines, distributing mains or service lines. If other, specify.”

(ii) after paragraph 7(e) there shall be added the following sub-paragraphs—

“(f) description of circuit protection;

(g) extent of operation of circuit protection.”

AMENDMENT TO SCHEDULE 5

17.  In Schedule 5 (notice of supply failure) after paragraph 9 there shall be added the following paragraphs—

“10.   Voltage of apparatus involved.

11.   Type of apparatus involved.”

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Electricity Supply Regulations 1988 (“the 1988 Regulations”), which by virtue of paragraph 3(a) of Schedule 17 to the Electricity Act 1989 (“the Act”) have effect as if made under section 29 of the Act.

The Regulations make amendments to definitions in the 1988 Regulations to align them as far as possible with, or to distinguish them from, definitions in the Act, make textual changes consequent upon the Act, and make minor and drafting amendments. They make the following additional changes of substance.

The prohibition as to fuses and automatic switching devices in regulation 4(2) (earthing connections) is extended to apply to all low voltage earthing connections.

The requirements in regulation 7 (protective multiple earthing) are restated to make clear the circumstances in which the supply neutral conductor of a distributing main is to be connected with earth. Previously the last 40 metres of a distributing main, to which no more than four consumers were connected, required an earthing connection at the junction with the service line of the consumer’s installation which had or was intended to have protective multiple earthing and which was nearest to the source of voltage. This requirement has now been removed. Removal of any earthing connection made prior to those provided for by the new regulation 7(1)(a) will not be required, and the new provisions will not apply to works brought into use before 30th March 1990. More specific requirements are made for consumers' earthing connections. Regulation 16 (insulators in stay wires) is amended to exclude stay wires connected to earthed metal supports.

The obligation on a supplier in regulation 25 (supplier’s works on consumer’s premises) to mark the phase rotation of conductors, and in regulation 30 (declaration of phases, frequency and voltage at supply terminals) to declare the phase rotation to a consumer, is removed. Regulation 34(5) of the 1988 Regulations (notification of specified events) required a supplier to give immediate notice to the Secretary of State of a reportable death. The amendment to this regulation requires a supplier to give similar notice of serious injury, as defined in regulation 34(6).

The amendments to Schedule 1 (safety signs) allow for larger sizes of text on safety signs, and require any additional text to appear no higher than the base of the triangle forming part of the sign. Schedule 2 (minimum height above ground of overhead lines) is amended to specify nominal in place of specific voltages.

(1)

1989 c. 29.

(2)

S.I. 1988/1057; by virtue of paragraph 3(a) of Schedule 17 to the Electricity Act 1989 (c. 29), effective as if made under section 29 of that Act.