The Electricity (Standards of Performance) (Amendment) Regulations 1998

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Electricity (Standards of Performance) Regulations 1993 as amended by the Electricity (Standards of Performance) (Amendment) Regulations 1995 (“the Principal Regulations”). In addition to minor and drafting amendments, they make the following amendments of substance:

Regulation 4 introduces as Regulation 9A of the Principal Regulations a new guaranteed standard relating to prepayment meters. It requires a supplier to arrange for an appropriate person to attend in order to repair or replace a prepayment meter which has been notified to it (otherwise than by post) as defective within the prescribed period and to make a payment of the prescribed sum on failure to do so.

Regulation 5 introduces into Regulation 10 of the Principal Regulations an additional requirement, where a supplier’s response to a customer’s query in relation to the correctness of an account states that a payment is due from the supplier to the customer, to pay the amount due within the prescribed period and to make a payment of the prescribed sum on failure to do so.

Regulation 6 amends Regulation 11 of the Principal Regulations. That Regulation requires a supplier to offer the customer, and to keep, a timed appointment in certain circumstances. Regulation 6 adds to Regulation 11 of the Principal Regulations a requirement on a supplier to offer and keep a timed visit in response to a notification from the customer under the new Regulation 9A (prepayment meters).

Regulation 8 incorporates a new requirement on a supplier under Regulation 14 of the Principal Regulations. Where the supplier has notified the customer that a payment is due to the customer, the supplier must, in addition to the notification, pay the sum due to the customer within the prescribed period and make a payment of the prescribed sum on failure to do so.

Regulation 9 makes alterations to Regulation 16 of the Principal Regulations. It removes the provision formerly contained in Regulation 16 which made certain records or information held by a supplier conclusive evidence in specified circumstances. Regulation 16 of the Principal Regulations, as inserted by Regulation 9, now provides only that notification or information given to a supplier under Regulations 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10 of the Principal Regulations after 4.00 pm on a working day, or at any time on a non-working day, is deemed to have been given on the next working day.

Regulation 10 substitutes a single new schedule of revised prescribed periods and prescribed sums which apply to all public electricity suppliers in substitution for the 14 separate schedules formerly applicable to individual public electricity suppliers. It also alters the definition of working hours from the period between 8.00 am and 6.00 pm on working days, to the period between 7.00 am and 7.00 pm on those days and between 9.00 am and 5.00 pm on any other day.