The Electricity (Northern Ireland) Order 1992

General duties of the Department

4.—(1) It shall be the duty of the Department to exercise the functions assigned or transferred to the Department by this Part in accordance with the following provisions of this Article.

(2) It shall be the duty of the Department to exercise the functions assigned or transferred to the Department by this Part in the manner which the Department considers is best calculated—

(a) to secure that all reasonable demands for electricity are satisfied;

(b) to secure that licence holders are able to finance the carrying on of the activities which they are authorised by their licences to carry on; and

(c) subject to paragraph (3), to promote competition in the generation and supply of electricity.

(3) It shall be the duty of the Department to exercise the functions assigned or transferred to the Department by this Part in the manner which the Department considers is best calculated to secure—

(a) that the prices charged to tariff customers by public electricity suppliers for electricity supplied under Article 19(1) to premises in any area specified in an order made by the Department are in accordance with tariffs which do not distinguish (whether directly or indirectly) between different parts of that area; and

(b) that public electricity suppliers are not thereby disadvantaged in competing with persons authorised by a licence or exemption to supply electricity to such premises.

(4) Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), it shall be the duty of the Department to exercise the functions assigned or transferred to the Department by this Part in the manner which the Department considers is best calculated—

(a) to protect the interests of consumers of electricity supplied by persons authorised by licences to supply electricity in respect of—

(i) the prices charged and the other terms of supply;

(ii) the continuity of supply; and

(iii) the quality of the electricity supply services provided;

(b) to promote efficiency and economy on the part of persons authorised by licences to supply or transmit electricity and the efficient use of electricity supplied to consumers;

(c) to promote research into, and the development and use of, new techniques by or on behalf of persons authorised by a licence to generate, transmit or supply electricity;

(d) to protect the public from dangers arising from the generation, transmission or supply of electricity; and

(e) to secure the establishment and maintenance of machinery for promoting the health and safety of persons employed in the generation, transmission or supply of electricity;

and a duty to take into account, in exercising those functions, the effect on the physical environment of activities connected with the generation, transmission or supply of electricity.

(5) In performing the duty under paragraph (4)(a)(i), the Department shall take into account, in particular, the protection of the interests of consumers of electricity in rural areas.

(6) In performing the duty under paragraph (4)(a)(iii), the Department shall take into account, in particular, the interests of those who are disabled or of pensionable age.

(7) In this Article references to the functions assigned to the Department by this Part do not include references to functions under Articles 39, 40 or 58 to 60.