PART IICONSUMER PROTECTION

Amendment of provisions dealing with determination of disputes5.

(1)

Article 26 of the Electricity Order, shall be amended as provided in this regulation.

(2)

In paragraph (1)—

(a)

for sub-paragraph (a) there shall be substituted the following sub-paragraph—

“(a)

may be referred to the Authority by either party, and such a reference shall be accompanied by such information as is necessary or expedient to allow a determination to be made in relation to the dispute; and”; and

(b)

for “and the practice and procedure” there shall be substituted “and, subject to paragraph (1A), the practice and procedure”.

(3)

After paragraph (1) there shall be inserted the following paragraphs—

“(1A)

The procedures established under paragraph (1) shall provide for the determination of the dispute to be notified to the party making the reference within the requisite period or such longer period as the Authority may agree with that person.

(1B)

For the purposes of paragraph (1A), the requisite period in any case means—

(a)

the period of 2 months from the date when the dispute was referred to the Authority; or

(b)

where the information sent to the Authority under paragraph (1)(a) was in its opinion insufficient to enable it to make a determination, the period of 4 months from the date when the dispute was referred to the Authority.”