Part V Amendment of the Gas Act 1986

Gas licensing

84 The gas code.

(1)

Schedule 2B to the 1986 Act is amended as follows.

(2)

After paragraph 6 (meters for disabled persons) there is inserted—

“6A Use of pre-payment meters

A pre-payment meter installed by an authorised supplier on any premises shall not be used to recover any sum other than a sum owing to an authorised supplier in respect of the supply of gas to those premises or the provision of the meter.”

(3)

In paragraph 7 (recovery of gas charges etc.)—

(a)

in sub-paragraph (1)(a) for the words from “the consumer’s” to “him” there is substituted “ any premises of his (in this paragraph referred to as “the premises”) ”;

(b)

sub-paragraph (2) shall cease to have effect; and

(c)

in sub-paragraph (3) for paragraphs (a) and (b) there is substituted—

“(a)

install a pre-payment meter on the premises in place of the existing meter; or

(b)

cut off the supply to the premises by disconnecting the service pipe at the meter or by such other means as he thinks fit;

and the supplier may recover any expenses incurred in so doing from the consumer. ”

(4)

In paragraph 23(2), for paragraph (c) there is substituted—

“(c)

exercising a power conferred by paragraph 3(5) or 7(3)(a) (and testing gas fittings, and making any adjustments required for their safe operation, after the exercise of the power).”