Electricity Act 1989

16 Duty to supply on request

(1) Subject to the following provisions of this Part and any regulations made under those provisions, a public electricity supplier shall, upon being required to do so by the owner or occupier of any premises—

(a) give a supply of electricity to those premises; and

(b) so far as may be necessary for that purpose, provide electric lines or electrical plant or both.

(2) Where any person requires a supply of electricity in pursuance of subsection (1) above, he shall give to the public electricity supplier a notice specifying—

(a) the premises in respect of which the supply is required;

(b) the day on which the supply is required to commence;

(c) the maximum power which may be required at any time; and

(d) the minimum period for which the supply is required to be given.

(3) Where a public electricity supplier receives from any person a notice under subsection (2) above requiring him to give a supply of electricity to any premises and—

(a) he has not previously given a supply of electricity to those premises; or

(b) the giving of the supply requires the provision of electric lines or electrical plant or both; or

(c) other circumstances exist which make it necessary or expedient for him to do so,

the supplier shall, as soon as practicable after receiving that notice, give to that person a notice under subsection (4) below.

(4) A notice under this subsection shall—

(a) state the extent to which the proposals specified in the other person’s notice under subsection (2) above are acceptable to the supplier and specify any counter proposals made by the supplier;

(b) state whether the prices to be charged by the supplier will be determined by a tariff under section 18(1) below, or a special agreement under section 22(1) below, and specify the tariff or the proposed terms of the agreement;

(c) specify any payment which that person will be required to make under subsection (1) of section 19 below, or under regulations made under subsection (2) of that section;

(d) specify any security which that person will be required to give under section 20 below;

(e) specify any other terms which that person will be required to accept under section 21 below; and

(f) state the effect of section 23 below.

(5) In this section and sections 17 to 23 below—

(a) any reference to giving a supply of electricity includes a reference to continuing to give such a supply;

(b) any reference to requiring a supply of electricity includes a reference to requiring such a supply to continue to be given; and

(c) any reference to the provision of an electric line or an item of electrical plant is a reference to the provision of such a line or item either by the installation of a new one or by the modification of an existing one.