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

Faulty prepayment meters

5.—(1) This regulation applies where—

(a) a customer notifies their supplier that the customer considers that a prepayment meter, through which the customer receives a supply of gas or electricity from the supplier, is faulty; or

(b) a customer notifies their supplier of matters relating to a prepayment meter, through which the customer receives a supply of gas or electricity from the supplier, that the supplier ought reasonably to expect to mean that the meter is faulty.

(2) Where this regulation applies, the individual standards of performance are—

(a) the requirement on the supplier set out in paragraphs (3) and (4); and

(b) the requirement on the supplier set out in paragraph (5).

(3) Where paragraph (1) applies and the customer has lost supply of gas or electricity from the meter, the supplier must take either of the steps set out in paragraph (4) within—

(a) 3 hours on a working day; or

(b) 4 hours on any other day,

of receiving a notification under paragraph (1).

(4) The supplier must—

(a) arrive at the customer’s premises to commence such work as appears necessary to ensure that the supply of gas or electricity is restored to the customer; or

(b) where the supply of gas or electricity can be restored without a visit by the supplier to the customer’s premises, commence such work as appears necessary to ensure that the supply of gas or electricity is restored to the customer.

(5) Where paragraph (1) applies and the customer has not lost supply of gas or electricity from the meter, the supplier must take an appropriate action within—

(a) 3 hours on a working day; or

(b) 4 hours on any other day,

of receiving a notification under paragraph (1).

(6) For the purposes of paragraphs (3) and (5)—

(a) where—

(i) the supplier has advised a customer of a particular postal address that is appropriate for receipt of the information described in paragraph (1)(a) or (b); and

(ii) the customer notifies the supplier of that information by post alone,

the information is to be treated as received by the supplier when it is received at that particular postal address; and

(b) where notification is given to the supplier outside working hours, the period of time within which the individual standard of performance must be completed begins to run at the commencement of the next following period of working hours.

(7) In this regulation—

“appropriate action” means action which will assist the supplier to—

(a)

confirm whether the customer’s prepayment meter is faulty;

(b)

restore the faulty meter to being a working meter; or

(c)

replace the faulty meter with a working meter;

“faulty” in relation to a prepayment meter, means a meter which is not operating so as to permit a supply of gas or electricity to be given to a customer’s premises in the manner for which that prepayment meter was designed;

“prepayment meter” has the meaning given in regulation 4(6); and

“working” in relation to a prepayment meter, means a meter which is operating so as to permit a supply of gas or electricity to be given to a customer’s premises in the manner for which that prepayment meter was designed.