25.—(1) Any requirement of an electricity supplier under these Regulations is enforceable by the Authority as if any such requirement was a relevant requirement on a regulated person for the purposes of section 25 of the Electricity Act 1989(1).
(2) Where the revenue collection counterparty determines that an electricity supplier has not complied with any requirement to pay an amount required under these Regulations it may issue a notice to that supplier setting out—
(a)the amount which the revenue collection counterparty determines that supplier should have paid;
(b)the basis on which the revenue collection counterparty determined the amount;
(c)the date on which the amount should have been paid; and
(d)the rate, if any, of interest which applies to the amount.
(3) Where the revenue collection counterparty determines that an electricity supplier has not complied with a requirement to ensure that the revenue collection counterparty holds sufficient collateral under regulation 19(2), it may issue a notice to that supplier which specifies the amount of collateral which the supplier would have to provide to meet that supplier’s collateral requirement for the day on which the notice is issued.
(4) Where the revenue collection counterparty has issued a notice to a supplier under paragraph (3) that supplier is required to pay the amount specified in the notice to the revenue collection counterparty in cash by the next working day after the notice has been issued.
(5) Where an electricity supplier makes a payment under paragraph (4) the amount of that payment constitutes collateral held by the revenue collection counterparty for the purposes of regulation 19.
(6) Where the revenue collection counterparty issues a notice to a supplier under paragraph (2) or (3)—
(a)it must also provide a copy of that notice to the Authority; and
(b)it may publish a copy of that notice, or a summary of that notice.
26.—(1) An electricity supplier may dispute any determination made by the revenue collection counterparty under these Regulations, other than a determination made under or by virtue of regulation 27 of these Regulations, by giving a notice to the revenue collection counterparty setting out—
(a)the determination the supplier is disputing; and
(b)the basis on which the supplier disputes the determination.
(2) For the purposes of paragraph (1), a dispute about a determination made by the revenue collection counterparty includes a dispute about the failure of the revenue collection counterparty to make a determination.
(3) A notice under paragraph (1) must be given by an electricity supplier before the later of—
(a)the 28th day after the day on which the determination was made by the revenue collection counterparty;
(b)in the case of a determination in respect of which the revenue collection counterparty must issue a notice, the 28th day after the day on which that notice was issued;
(c)in the case of a dispute about the failure of the revenue collection counterparty to make a determination, the 28th day after the day on which the revenue collection counterparty should have made the relevant determination which is in dispute.
(4) An electricity supplier may not dispute a determination if and to the extent that the dispute is about a determination, made by the BSCCo, of an amount of electricity supplied (whether by that supplier or any other supplier).
(5) Where an electricity supplier has given a notice under paragraph (1) in respect of a determination, that determination still has effect notwithstanding the giving of that notice.
27.—(1) Where the revenue collection counterparty receives a notice under regulation 26(1) (“a dispute notice”) about a determination (or a failure to make a determination) under any provision of these Regulations (“a relevant provision”) it must, by the 28th day after the day on which it receives that notice either—
(a)reject the notice; or
(b)accept the notice (in full or in part) and make such determination under that provision as it thinks is necessary in consequence.
(2) Whether the revenue collection counterparty rejects or accepts a dispute notice, it must, on the same day, issue a notice (“a decision notice”) to the person who gave that dispute notice, setting out its decision and the reasons for it.
(3) Where the revenue collection counterparty makes a determination under a relevant provision by virtue of paragraph (1)(b) it must, on the same day, issue to each electricity supplier who may be affected by the making of that determination a notice which sets out that determination.
(4) Where the revenue collection counterparty makes a determination under a relevant provision by virtue of paragraph (1)(b) and—
(a)that provision requires the determination to be made by a particular time which has passed, that determination has effect notwithstanding that requirement;
(b)that provision requires something to be done by it by a particular time which has passed, that thing must be done as soon as reasonably practicable after the determination.
(5) Where the revenue collection counterparty makes a determination under a relevant provision by virtue of paragraph (1)(b) and that provision requires an electricity supplier to make a payment, that payment must be made (notwithstanding what that provision says about the time by which a payment must be made) by the date specified by the revenue collection counterparty in the notice issued under paragraph (3) to that supplier, that date being no earlier than—
(a)the date by which, in the opinion of the revenue collection counterparty, it would be reasonably practicable for that electricity supplier to make that payment; or
(b)the earliest date by which that supplier would have had to have made that payment if the determination had been made at the time the determination which is the subject of the dispute notice was or (in the case where the revenue collection counterparty failed to make a determination) should have been made.
(6) Where an electricity supplier has paid an amount to the revenue collection counterparty, or the revenue collection counterparty has paid an amount to that electricity supplier, and a determination made under a relevant provision by virtue of paragraph (1)(b) means that that amount should not have been paid, that amount must be returned to the person who paid it by—
(a)the 5th working day after the day on which the notice issued in respect of that determination was issued under paragraph (3);
(b)where the revenue collection counterparty is of the opinion that it would not be reasonably practicable for that amount to be returned by that date, such later date as the revenue collection counterparty specifies in the notice issued under paragraph (3) to that supplier in respect of that determination.
28.—(1) The revenue collection counterparty must exercise its functions in the manner best calculated to ensure the collection of all amounts which are required to be paid or provided by electricity suppliers under these Regulations.
(2) If the revenue collection counterparty considers it may be, or become, unable to fulfil its functions, it must promptly notify the Secretary of State and must provide such further details as the Secretary of State may request.
(3) In paragraphs (1) and (2) “functions” includes—
(a)any function conferred by these Regulations;
(b)the recovery of any sum as a civil debt by virtue of section 19 of the Act; and
(c)any duties or obligations of the revenue collection counterparty under any revenue collection contract.
(4) The revenue collection counterparty must take such steps as it considers necessary to ensure that electricity suppliers are—
(a)informed of their liabilities under these Regulations; and
(b)provided with information about liabilities which they may incur under these Regulations.
(5) Where the revenue collection counterparty writes-off any debt owed to it by an electricity supplier, it must issue a notice of that fact to every electricity supplier who was required to make a payment under regulation 17(6) in relation to that debt.
(6) The revenue collection counterparty must publish information which relates to its estimates of the liabilities of electricity suppliers arising during three consecutive quarterly obligation periods (“the projection period”).
(7) The revenue collection counterparty must publish information under paragraph (6)—
(a)no later than 30 days before the start of the first quarterly obligation period to which that information relates; or
(b)where the revenue collection counterparty reasonably believes that it has received insufficient information from the Authority for the purpose of publishing information under paragraph (6), as soon as reasonably practicable following the receipt of the information the revenue collection counterparty requires.
(8) The information published under paragraph (6) must include—
(a)an estimate of the interim levy rate (see regulation 5(1)) that would apply to each quarterly obligation period during the projection period; and
(b)an estimate of the total reserve amount for each quarterly obligation period during the projection period.
29.—(1) Where the revenue collection counterparty is permitted or required to issue a notice (including a copy of a notice) to a person, that notice must be in writing and is issued if it has been sent (by or on behalf of the revenue collection counterparty) by post or electronic means to that person’s proper address.
(2) In paragraph (1), “proper address” means—
(a)in the case of a body corporate—
(i)the registered or principal office of that person, or
(ii)an email address provided (and not withdrawn) by that person;
(b)in the case of a partnership—
(i)the principal office of the partnership, or
(ii)an email address provided (and not withdrawn) by—
(aa)that partnership,
(bb)a partner, or
(cc)a person having control or management of the partnership business;
(c)in the case of any other person, that person’s last known address, which includes an email address (where that email address was provided, and has not been withdrawn, by that person).
(3) So as to enable the revenue collection counterparty to discharge its functions under these Regulations, an electricity supplier must, within 2 working days of first making an electricity supply after the first payment period start date, provide an email address to the revenue collection counterparty at which it can be contacted, and if that supplier subsequently changes that email address it must notify the revenue collection counterparty of that change.
(4) Where the revenue collection counterparty issues a notice to an electricity supplier under regulation 5(3)(a) or (b) it must set out an address and an email address for correspondence in that notice.
(5) An electricity supplier may give a notice to the revenue collection counterparty by sending it by post or electronic means to the address or email address contained in the most recent notice issued to that supplier under regulation 5(3)(a) or (b).
(6) Where the revenue collection counterparty is required to publish any information under these Regulations the revenue collection counterparty must publish that information in such manner as the revenue collection counterparty considers appropriate for the purpose of bringing it to the attention of persons who may be affected by that information.
1989 c. 29. The definition of “regulated person” was amended by S.I. 2011/2704, 2017/493 and 2019/530. The definition of “relevant requirement” was amended by S.I. 2011/2704, 2020/96 and 2020/1016. Other amendments to section 25 of the Electricity Act 1989 were made by section 54(3) of, and Schedule 10 to, the Competition Act 1998 (c. 41); sections 3(2), 60(1) to (5) and 108 of, and Schedule 6 and 8 to, the Utilities Act 2000 (c. 27); section 63(1) of, and Schedule 7 to, the Consumers, Estate Agents and Redress Act 2007 (c. 17); section 51(5) of, and Schedule 14 to, the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 (c. 24); S.I. 2011/2704; and S.I. 2020/96.