The Electricity and Gas (Standards of Performance) (Suppliers) Regulations 2015

Appointments

3.—(1) This regulation applies where—

(a) a customer requests that their supplier visits the customer’s premises, or a supplier requests permission to visit their customer’s premises;

(b) the visit is in connection with activities that the supplier is required or authorised to carry out under its licence; and

(c) the visit either requires access to the customer’s premises to be afforded to the supplier’s representative, or is a visit for which it would otherwise be reasonable to expect the customer to be present.

(2) Where this regulation applies, the requirements on the supplier set out in paragraphs (3), (5), (7), (8) and (9) are each an individual standard of performance.

(3) The supplier must within a reasonable time offer the customer an appointment that—

(a) is on a date that is itself within a reasonable time; and

(b) takes place within a specified period of time that is—

(i) no more than 4 hours long; and

(ii) during working hours.

(4) In paragraph (3), reference to “within a reasonable time” means within a reasonable time of—

(a) a request made by the supplier or the customer under paragraph (1)(a); or

(b) a request to rearrange the appointment by the customer or the supplier.

(5) Subject to paragraph (6), where a supplier is required to offer a customer an appointment under this regulation and the customer requests that the appointment takes place on a particular date and time, the supplier must not unreasonably withhold agreement to that request.

(6) The supplier is not obliged to agree to an appointment under paragraph (5) that is to take place within a specified period of time that is—

(a) less than 2 hours long; or

(b) not during working hours.

(7) A supplier must not rearrange an appointment less than 1 working day prior to the date of the appointment without—

(a) obtaining the express agreement of the customer to the rearrangement; and

(b) retaining a written record of the basis of the customer’s agreement to the rearrangement.

(8) The supplier must keep an appointment offered in accordance with paragraph (3) and accepted by the customer, or agreed in accordance with paragraph (5) subject to—

(a) any cancellation or requested rearrangement by the customer; or

(b) any rearrangement by the supplier (and any such rearrangement must be in accordance with paragraph (7) where it occurs less than 1 working day prior to the date of the appointment).

(9) In keeping the appointment in accordance with paragraph (8), the supplier must ensure that whoever represents it for that purpose possesses the necessary skills, experience and resources to fulfil the purpose of the appointment as the supplier reasonably understands it.

(10) In this regulation, “customer” includes micro-business customer.