Electricity Act 1989

6 Licences authorising supply etc

(1) The Secretary of State after consultation with the Director, or the Director with the consent of, or in accordance with a general authority given by, the Secretary of State, may grant a licence authorising any person—

(a) to generate electricity for the purpose of giving a supply to any premises or enabling a supply to be so given;

(b) to transmit electricity for that purpose in that person’s authorised area; or

(c) to supply electricity to any premises in that person’s authorised area.

(2) The Secretary of State after consultation with the Director, or the Director with the consent of, or in accordance with a general authority given by, the Secretary of State, may—

(a) grant a licence authorising any person to supply electricity to any premises specified or of a description specified in the licence; or

(b) extend such a licence by adding to the premises or descriptions of premises specified in the licence.

(3) An application for a licence or extension shall be made in the prescribed manner and shall be accompanied by such fee (if any) as may be prescribed; and within 14 days after the making of such an application, the applicant shall publish a copy of the application in the prescribed manner.

(4) Before granting a licence under subsection (1)(b) or (c) above, the Secretary of State or the Director shall give notice—

(a) stating that he proposes to grant the licence;

(b) stating the reasons why he proposes to grant the licence; and

(c) specifying the time (not being less than 28 days from the date of publication of the notice) within which representations or objections with respect to the proposed licence may be made,

and shall consider any representations or objections which are duly made and not withdrawn.

(5) A notice under subsection (4) above shall be given by publishing the notice in such manner as the Secretary of State or the Director considers appropriate for bringing it to the attention of persons likely to be affected by the grant of the licence.

(6) A licence shall be in writing and, unless previously revoked in accordance with any term contained in the licence, shall continue in force for such period as may be specified in or determined by or under the licence.

(7) As soon as practicable after granting a licence, the Secretary of State shall send a copy of the licence to the Director and—

(a) in the case of a licence under paragraph (b) of subsection (1) above, to any licence holder under that paragraph whose authorised area previously included the whole or any part of the area designated in the licence;

(b) in the case of a licence under paragraph (c) of that subsection, to any public electricity supplier whose authorised area previously included the whole or any part of the area designated in the licence;

(c) in the case of a licence or extension under subsection (2) above, to any public electricity supplier whose authorised area includes any premises specified or described in the licence or extension.

(8) As soon as practicable after granting any licence or extension falling within paragraph (a), (b) or (c) of subsection (7) above, the Director shall send a copy of the licence or extension to any such person as is mentioned in that paragraph.

(9) In this Part—

• “authorised area”, in relation to a person authorised by a licence under paragraph (b) or (c) of subsection (1) above to transmit or supply electricity, means so much of the area designated as such in the licence as is not for the time being designated in a subsequent licence under that paragraph;

• “public electricity supplier” means any person who is authorised by a licence under subsection (1)(c) above to supply electricity except where he is acting otherwise than for purposes connected with the supply of electricity to premises in his authorised area.

(10) Neither the requirement to consult imposed by subsection (1) or (2) above nor subsections (3) and (4) above shall apply to the granting of any licences which, having regard to the provisions of section 4 above, need to be granted before the commencement of that section.

(11) Any sums received by the Secretary of State or the Director under this section shall be paid into the Consolidated Fund.