Insolvency Act 1986

233 Supplies of gas, water, electricity, etc. E+W+S

(1) This section applies in the case of a company where—

[F1 (a) the company enters administration,]

(b) an administrative receiver is appointed, or

[F2 (ba) a moratorium under section 1A is in force, or]

(c) a voluntary arrangement [F3 approved under Part I], has taken effect, or

(d) the company goes into liquidation, or

(e) a provisional liquidator is appointed;

and “the office-holder” means the administrator, the administrative receiver, [F4 the nominee,] the supervisor of the voluntary arrangement, the liquidator or the provisional liquidator, as the case may be.

(2) If a request is made by or with the concurrence of the office-holder for the giving, after the effective date, of any of the supplies mentioned in the next subsection, the supplier—

(a) may make it a condition of the giving of the supply that the office-holder personally guarantees the payment of any charges in respect of the supply, but

(b) shall not make it a condition of the giving of the supply, or do anything which has the effect of making it a condition of the giving of the supply, that any outstanding charges in respect of a supply given to the company before the effective date are paid.

(3) The supplies referred to in subsection (2) are—

[F5 (a) a supply of gas by a gas supplier within the meaning of Part I of the Gas Act 1986;]

[F6 (b) a supply of electricity by an electricity supplier within the meaning of Part I of the Electricity Act 1989;]

(c) a supply of water by [F7 a water undertaker] or, in Scotland, [F8 Scottish Water],

[F9 (d) a supply of communications services by a provider of a public electronic communications service.]

(4) “The effective date” for the purposes of this section is whichever is applicable of the following dates—

[F10 (a) the date on which the company entered administration]

(b) the date on which the administative receiver was appointed (or, if he was appointed in succession to another administrative receiver, the date on which the first of his predecessors was appointed),

[F11 (ba) the date on which the moratorium came into force]

(c) the date on which the voluntary arrangement [F12 took effect],

(d) the date on which the company went into liquidation,

(e) the date on which the provisional liquidator was appointed.

(5) The following applies to expressions used in subsection (3)—

(a) F13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(b) F14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(c) F15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

[F16 (d) “communications services” do not include electronic communications services to the extent that they are used to broadcast or otherwise transmit programme services (within the meaning of the Communications Act 2003).]

Textual Amendments

F1 S. 233(1)(a) substituted (15.9.2003) by 2002 c. 40, ss. 248(3), 279, Sch. 17 para. 22(a) (with s. 249(1)-(3)(6)); S.I. 2003/2093, art. 2, Sch. 1 (subject to arts. 3-8 (as amended by S.I. 2003/2332, art. 2))

F2 S. 233(1)(ba) inserted (1.1.2003) by 2000 c. 39, s. 1, Sch. 1 para. 8(2)(a); S.I. 2002/2711, art. 2 (subject to transitional provisions in arts. 3-5)

F3 Words in s. 233(1)(c) inserted (1.1.2003) by 2000 c. 39, s. 1, Sch. 1 para. 8(2)(b); S.I. 2002/2711, art. 2 (subject to transitional provisions in arts. 3-5)

F4 Words in s. 233(1) inserted (1.1.2003) by 2000 c. 39, s. 1, Sch. 1 para. 8(2)(b); S.I. 2002/2711, art. 2 (subject to transitional provisions in arts. 3-5)

F5 S. 233(3)(a) substituted (1.3.1996) by 1995 c. 45, s. 16(1), Sch. 4 para. 14(1); S.I. 1996/218, art. 2

F6 S. 233(3)(b) substituted (1.10.2001) by 2000 c. 27, s. 108, Sch. 6 para. 47(2)(a); S.I. 2001/3266, arts. 1(2), 2, Sch. (subject to arts. 3-20)

F7 Words substituted by Water Act 1989 (c. 15, SIF 130), s. 190, Sch. 25 para. 78(1) (with ss. 58(7), 101(1), 141(6), 160(1)(2)(4), 163, 189(4)–(10), 193(1), Sch. 26 paras. 3(1)(2), 17, 40(4), 57(6), 58)

F8 Words in s. 233(3)(c) substituted (14.7.2004) by The Water Industry (Scotland) Act 2002 (Consequential Modifications) Order 2004 (S.I. 2004/1822), art. 2, Sch. Pt. 1 para. 14(a)

F9 S. 233(3)(d) substituted (25.7.2003 for specified purposes, 29.12.2003 for specified purposes) by Communications Act 2003 (c. 21), ss. 406, 408, 411, Sch. 17 para. 82(a) (with Sch. 18); S.I. 2003/1900, arts. 1(2), 2(1), 3(1) (with art. 3(2) (as amended (8.12.2003) by 2003/3142, art. 1(3))); S.I. 2003/3142, art. 3(2) (with art. 11)

F10 S. 233(4)(a) substituted (15.9.2003) by 2002 c. 40, ss. 248(3), 279, Sch. 17 para. 22(b) (with s. 249(1)-(3)(6)); S.I. 2003/2093, art. 2, Sch. 1 (subject to arts. 3-8 (as amended by S.I. 2003/2332, art. 2))

F11 S. 233(4)(ba) inserted (1.1.2003) by 2000 c. 39, s. 1, Sch. 1 para. 8(3)(a); S.I. 2002/2711, art. 2 (subject to transitional provisions in arts. 3-5)

F12 Words in s. 233(4)(c) substituted (1.1.2003) by 2000 c. 39, s. 1, Sch. 1 para. 8(3)(b); S.I. 2002/2711, art. 2 (subject to transitional provisions in arts. 3-5)

F13 S. 233(5)(a) repealed (1.3.1996) by 1995 c. 45, ss. 16(1), 17(5), Sch. 4 para. 14(2), Sch. 6; S.I. 1996/218, art. 2

F14 S. 233(5)(b) repealed (1.10.2001) by 2000 c. 27, s. 108, Sch. 6 para. 47(2)(b), Sch. 8; S.I. 2001/3266, arts. 1(2), 2, Sch. (subject to arts. 3-20)

F15 S. 233(5)(c) repealed (14.7.2004) by The Water Industry (Scotland) Act 2002 (Consequential Modifications) Order 2004 (S.I. 2004/1822), art. 2, Sch. Pt. 1 para. 14(b)

F16 S. 233(5)(d) substituted (25.7.2003 for specified purposes, 29.12.2003 for specified purposes) by Communications Act 2003 (c. 21), ss. 406, 408, 411, Sch. 17 para. 82(b) (with Sch. 18); S.I. 2003/1900, arts. 1(2), 2(1), 3(1) (with art. 3(2) (as amended (8.12.2003) by 2003/3142, art. 1(3))); S.I. 2003/3142, art. 3(2) (with art. 11)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 233 applied (1.12.1994) by S.I. 1994/2421, art. 4(3)(a)

S. 233 applied (with modifications) (S.) (6.4.2001) by S.S.I. 2001/128, reg. 4(1), Sch. 2

C2 S. 233 applied (with modifications) (17.2.2009 for certain purposes, otherwise 21.2.2009) by Banking Act 2009 (c. 1), ss. 103, 263(1)(2) (with s. 247); S.I. 2009/296, arts. 2, 3, Sch. para. 2

C3 S. 233 applied (with modifications) (17.2.2009 for certain purposes, otherwise 21.2.2009) by Banking Act 2009 (c. 1), ss. 145, 263(1)(2) (with s. 247); S.I. 2009/296, arts. 2, 3, Sch. para. 3

C4 S. 233(1)(4) modified (S.) (6.4.2001) by S.S.I. 2001/128, reg. 4(2), Sch. 3 (which reference to s. 233 in Sch. 3 of the modifying S.S.I. was omitted (1.10.2009) by virtue of S.S.I. 2009/310, reg. 4, Sch. 2 para. 1(b))

C5 S. 233(1)(4) modified (S.) (6.4.2001) by S.S.I. 2001/128, reg. 4(2), Sch. 3