(1)Nothing in section 16(1) above shall be taken as requiring a public electricity supplier to give a supply of electricity to any premises if—
(a)such a supply is being given to the premises by a private electricity supplier; and
(b)that supply is given (wholly or partly) through the public electricity supplier’s electric lines and electrical plant;
and in this Part “private electricity supplier” means a person, other than a public electricity supplier, who is authorised by a licence or exemption to supply electricity.
(2)Nothing in section 16(1) above shall be taken as requiring a public electricity supplier to give a supply of electricity to any premises if and to the extent that—
(a)he is prevented from doing so by circumstances not within his control; or
(b)circumstances exist by reason of which his doing so would or might involve his being in breach of regulations under section 29 below, and he has taken all such steps as it was reasonable to take both to prevent the circumstances from occurring and to prevent them from having that effect; or
(c)it is not reasonable in all the circumstances for him to be required to do so.
(3)Paragraph (c) of subsection (2) above shall not apply in relation to a supply of electricity which is being given to any premises unless the public electricity supplier gives to the occupier, or to the owner if the premises are not occupied, not less than seven working days' notice of his intention to discontinue the supply in pursuance of that paragraph.