PART 1General
Citation, commencement and transitional provisions
1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Electricity (Standards of Performance) Regulations 2015 and come into force on 1st April 2015.
(2) Where, in relation to any occasion upon which a regulation would otherwise apply, the applicable date falls before the date on which these Regulations come into force, the Electricity (Standards of Performance) Regulations 2010(1) continue to apply to the exclusion of these Regulations.
Revocation
2. The instruments listed in column 1 of Schedule 1 to these Regulations (which have the references in column 2) are revoked to the extent indicated in column 3 of that Schedule.
General interpretation
3.—(1) In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires—
“the Act” means the Electricity Act 1989;
“applicable date” means, in relation to each occasion on which a regulation applies, the day on which that regulation first applies, or, where a prescribed period in a paragraph of a regulation is expressed in hours, the time on that day when that regulation first applies;
“appropriate meter” has the meaning given in paragraph 1(6) of Schedule 7 to the Act;
“the Authority” means the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority established under section 1 of the Utilities Act 2000(2);
“consumer advocacy body” means the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux or the Scottish Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux;
“customer” means an owner or occupier of premises in Great Britain who is supplied or requires to be supplied with electricity, and includes an electricity supplier where it is acting on behalf of such a person;
“designated electricity distributor” means an electricity distributor in whose licence Section B of the standard conditions of distribution licences is in effect but only to the extent that the electricity distributor is undertaking activities within its distribution services area;
“directly connected”, in relation to premises, means so connected to an electricity distributor’s distribution system that the final connection to the premises is from that system;
“distribution low voltage” means a nominal voltage not exceeding 1,000 volts;
“distribution services area” means, in relation to a designated electricity distributor, the area specified as such by the Authority under:
standard condition 2 (Application of Section C) of the licensee’s electricity distribution licence in the form in which that licence was in force on 31st May 2008; or
standard condition 3 (Application of the Section B standard conditions) of the licensee’s electricity distribution licence in the form in which that licence was in force on 31st March 2015; or
standard condition 3 (Application of the Section B standard conditions) of the electricity distribution licence on or after 1st April 2015;
“distributor’s fuse” means the fusible cut-out or automatic switching device of the electricity distributor for disconnecting the supply to the customer’s premises situated nearest to the appropriate meter for the customer’s premises and on the distributor’s side thereof;
“domestic customer” means a customer supplied or requiring to be supplied with electricity at domestic premises (but excluding such customer insofar as the customer is supplied or requires to be supplied at premises other than domestic premises);
“domestic premises” means premises at which a supply is taken or to be taken wholly or mainly for domestic purposes;
“margins of error” means the prescribed margins of error or the agreed margins of error as defined in paragraph 13 of Schedule 7 to the Act;
“non-domestic customer” means any customer other than a domestic customer;
“pay” includes crediting the account of the customer for charges incurred or to be incurred in respect of the supply or in respect of the provision of any electricity meter, electric line or electrical plant, and “payment” is construed accordingly;
“prescribed period” in relation to any paragraph of these Regulations means the period in column 2 of Part 1 of Schedule 2 opposite the reference to that paragraph in column 1 of that Part;
“prescribed sum” means, where the customer is a domestic customer the amount in column 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 2, or where the customer is a non-domestic customer the amount in column 4 of Part 1 of Schedule 2, in either case opposite the reference to that paragraph of the regulation in column 1 of Part 1 of that Schedule;
“Priority Services Register” means a list established and maintained by an electricity distributor which contains the details of Priority Services Register Customers;
“Priority Services Register Customer” means a domestic customer who—
is of pensionable age, disabled or chronically sick; and
due to special communication needs or dependency on electricity for medical reasons, requires certain information and advice about interruptions in the supply of electricity to the customer’s premises; and
has either—
personally asked the licensee to add the customer’s name to the Priority Services Register; or
had a person acting on the customer’s behalf ask for the customer’s name to be added to it; or
had a relevant supplier ask for the customer’s name to be added to it;
“relevant operator” means the relevant supplier or, as the case may be, the relevant electricity distributor or the electricity distributor and, for the purposes of regulations 17, 18, 19 20 and Schedule 3, includes any electricity supplier;
“relevant supplier” means an electricity supplier in whose licence Section D of the standard conditions of electricity supply licences had effect immediately prior to 1st August 2007 but only to the extent that the supplier is undertaking activities within its supply services area;
“specified time” means—
unless sub-paragraph (b) applies, a part (which has been specified by the relevant operator) of a day (which has also been so specified by the relevant operator) within the prescribed period from the applicable date, being either—
a part which falls either wholly before one o’clock in the afternoon or wholly after noon; or
a part not exceeding two hours; or
such part of a day (whether or not within that period) as is requested by the customer and agreed with the relevant operator, such agreement not to be unreasonably withheld, provided that—
a part of a day may be a specified time for the purpose of a regulation notwithstanding that it was requested, agreed or specified prior to the time at which that regulation first applied; and
the relevant operator is not obliged to agree a part of a day that is less than two hours;
“standard conditions of electricity distribution licences” means such conditions as may be determined by the Secretary of State for electricity distribution licences pursuant to section 33(1) of the Utilities Act 2000(3), including any amendment or modification made to those standard conditions in accordance with the Act, the Utilities Act 2000 or the Energy Act 2004(4), and a reference in a provision relating to electricity distributors to a numbered standard condition is a reference to the standard condition bearing that number in the standard conditions of electricity distribution licences;
“supply services area” means, in relation to a relevant supplier, the area specified or described pursuant to standard condition 3 of the standard conditions of electricity supply licences as incorporated in that electricity supplier’s licence immediately prior to 1st August 2007; and
“working hours” means the period between the times specified in Part 2 of Schedule 2.
(2) For the purposes of these Regulations—
(a)where more than one person is a customer in respect of particular premises, a notice given by a relevant operator to one person who is a customer in respect of those premises is a sufficient notice to any other person who is a customer in respect of those premises at the time at which the notice is given;
(b)where a person is a customer in respect of more than one set of premises, a reference in a regulation to “customer” is a reference to that person in respect of each of the premises at which the person is a customer to which the regulation applies;
(c)any reference to the dispatch by a relevant operator of an explanation or reply within a particular period does not require that the explanation or reply (if in writing) is received by the customer within that period and is satisfied if the relevant operator provides the explanation or reply orally to the customer within that period;
(d)any reference to a customer (except in relation to the entitlement to any payment due from a relevant operator under these Regulations) includes any person having apparent authority to represent the customer;
(e)any reference to a customer does not include any person who is supplied otherwise than through an appropriate meter (as prescribed in regulations made under paragraph 1(1A) of Schedule 7 to the Act(5)); and
(f)any customer identified as being a Priority Services Register Customer, and who experiences a qualifying interruption, is entitled to an automatic payment from the customer’s electricity distributor of the prescribed sum in respect of regulations 5, 6, 7 and 8, where no exemptions under those regulations apply.
PART 2Supply Restoration Standards of Performance for Electricity Distributors
Supply Restoration Standards of Performance for Electricity Distributors
4.—(1) In this regulation and regulations 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9—
“category 1 severe weather conditions” means—
conditions in which eight or more times the daily mean faults on the designated electricity distributor’s distribution system at distribution higher voltage caused by weather predominantly related to lightning in a 24-hour period affect less than the category 3 threshold number of customers; or
conditions in which eight or more but fewer than thirteen times the daily mean faults on the designated electricity distributor’s distribution system at distribution higher voltage caused by weather not predominantly related to lightning in a 24-hour period affect less than the category 3 threshold number of customers;
“category 2 severe weather conditions” means conditions in which thirteen or more times the daily mean faults on the designated electricity distributor’s distribution system at distribution higher voltage in a 24-hour period caused by weather not predominantly related to lightning affect less than the category 3 threshold number of customers;
“category 3 severe weather conditions” means conditions in which faults on the designated electricity distributor’s distribution system caused by weather interrupt a number of customers that is equal to or greater than the category 3 threshold number of customers;
“category 3 threshold number of customers” means, for each designated electricity distributor, the number in column 4 in the Table in Part 3 of Schedule 2 opposite the reference to that distributor in column 1;
“distribution higher voltage” means any nominal voltage of more than 1,000 volts up to and including 132 kilovolts in England and Wales and up to but excluding 132 kilovolts in Scotland;
“eight times the daily mean faults at distribution higher voltage” means, for each designated electricity distributor, the number in column 2 in the Table in Part 3 of Schedule 2 opposite the reference to that distributor in column 1;
“relevant electricity distributor”, in relation to any customer, means—
the electricity distributor to whose distribution system that customer’s premises are directly connected; or
where that distributor is entitled to rely on the exemption described at paragraph (9) of regulation 9 and has so notified the other electricity distributor to whom that paragraph refers, that other electricity distributor;
“relevant period” means the prescribed period commencing at the earlier of—
the first time at which an electricity distributor is informed by a customer that the supply to that customer’s premises has been discontinued; or
the first time at which an electricity distributor is informed by a person other than that customer or is otherwise made aware by the operation of any automatic system operated by that distributor of circumstances in which regulation 5(1), 6(1), 7(1), 7(2) or 7(3) applies or may reasonably be expected to apply to premises including the customer’s premises;
“thirteen times the daily mean faults at distribution higher voltage” means, for each designated electricity distributor, the number in column 3 in the table in Part 3 of Schedule 2 opposite the reference to that distributor in column 1;
“total number of customers interrupted” means, for each designated electricity distributor for the purposes of regulation 7(6) and 7(8), the total number of customers whose supplies are interrupted by the category 3 weather conditions in that distributor’s distribution services area; and
“upper-threshold number of customers” means, for each designated electricity distributor, the number in column 5 in the table in Part 3 of Schedule 2 opposite the reference to that distributor in column 1.
(2) For the purposes of calculating and making compensation payments under regulations 5, 6, 7 and 8 where supply is interrupted to a customer’s premises that are directly connected to the distribution system of a relevant electricity distributor who is not a designated electricity distributor—
(a)that interruption is deemed to have been caused by the same category of event applicable to the designated electricity distributor in whose distribution services area that relevant electricity distributor operates; and
(b)the application of the formula in regulation 7(6)(a) is based on the total number of customers interrupted in the designated distributor’s distribution services area in which that relevant electricity distributor operates.
Supply restoration: normal conditions
5.—(1) This paragraph applies to a relevant electricity distributor where the supply to a customer’s premises is interrupted as a result of a failure of, fault in or damage to that distributor’s distribution system (except where regulation 11 applies).
(2) Where paragraph (1) applies, that distributor must, except in any of the circumstances described in paragraph (3), pay the prescribed sum to the customer—
(a)where the supply is not restored to the customer’s premises within the relevant period; and
(b)in respect of each succeeding period of 12 hours upon the expiry of which the supply is not restored.
(3) The circumstances described in this paragraph are—
(a)each of the circumstances described in regulation 6 and regulation 9; and
(b)where the supply to the customer’s premises is interrupted as a result of a failure of, fault in or damage to the relevant electricity distributor’s distribution system resulting from category 1, 2 or 3 severe weather conditions.
Supply restoration: normal conditions – 5,000 or more customers’ premises interrupted
6.—(1) This paragraph applies to a relevant electricity distributor where the supply to 5,000 or more customers’ premises is interrupted as a result of a single failure of, fault in or damage to that distributor’s distribution system.
(2) Where paragraph (1) applies, that distributor must, except in any of the circumstances described in paragraph (3)(a) and (3)(b), pay the prescribed sum to any customer whose premises are included within the 5,000 or more customers’ premises referred to in paragraph (1)—
(a)where the supply is not restored to the customer’s premises within the relevant period; and
(b)in respect of each succeeding period of 12 hours upon the expiry of which the supply is not restored,
up to a maximum of £300 per customer.
(3) The circumstances described in this paragraph are—
(a)each of the circumstances described in regulation 9, with the exception of regulation 9(8)(b), 9(8)(c) and 9(8)(e);
(b)where the supply to the customer’s premises is interrupted as a result of a failure of, fault in or damage to the relevant electricity distributor’s distribution system resulting from category 1, 2 or 3 severe weather conditions.
Supply restoration: severe weather conditions
7.—(1) This paragraph applies to a relevant electricity distributor where the supply to a customer’s premises is interrupted as a result of a failure of, fault in or damage to that distributor’s distribution system resulting from category 1 severe weather conditions (except where regulation 11 applies).
(2) This paragraph applies to a relevant electricity distributor where the supply to a customer’s premises is interrupted as a result of a failure of, fault in or damage to that distributor’s distribution system resulting from category 2 severe weather conditions (except where regulation 11 applies).
(3) This paragraph applies to a relevant electricity distributor where the supply to a customer’s premises is interrupted as a result of a failure of, fault in or damage to that distributor’s distribution system resulting from category 3 severe weather conditions (except where regulation 11 applies).
(4) Where paragraph (1) applies, that distributor must, except in each of the circumstances described in regulation 9, pay the prescribed sum to the customer—
(a)where the supply is not restored to the customer’s premises within the relevant period; and
(b)in respect of each succeeding period of 12 hours upon the expiry of which the supply is not restored,
up to a maximum of £700 per customer.
(5) Where paragraph (2) applies, that distributor must, except in each of the circumstances described in regulation 9, pay the prescribed sum to the customer—
(a)where the supply is not restored to the customer’s premises within the relevant period; and
(b)in respect of each succeeding period of 12 hours upon the expiry of which the supply is not restored,
up to a maximum of £700 per customer.
(6) Where paragraph (3) applies, that distributor must, except in each of the circumstances described in regulation 9, pay the prescribed sum to the customer—
(a)where the supply is not restored to the customer’s premises within the period calculated by the application of the following formula (the result of which is to represent and be expressed as a number of hours)—
(b)in respect of each succeeding period of 12 hours upon the expiry of which the supply is not restored,
up to a maximum of £700 per customer.
(7) Paragraph (6) of this regulation does not apply to any relevant electricity distributor where any designated electricity distributor experiences category 3 severe weather conditions in which the total number of customers interrupted is equal to or greater than the upper-threshold number of customers due to the same weather event.
Supply restoration: rota disconnection
8.—(1) This paragraph applies to a relevant electricity distributor where supply to a customer’s premises is interrupted as a result of rota disconnection on that distributor’s distribution system resulting from a failure of, fault in or damage to that distributor’s distribution system.
(2) Where paragraph (1) applies, that distributor must, except in any of the circumstances described in regulation 9, pay the prescribed sum to the customer where the supply is not restored to the customer’s premises within the prescribed period.
(3) For the purposes of paragraphs (1) and (2)—
(a)“rota disconnection” means the deliberate disconnection of customers’ electricity supplies by the relevant electricity distributor for a set duration on a rota basis so as to reduce the demand for electricity to the level of capacity that is available;
(b)where there is more than one interruption that relates to the same rota disconnection event, supply is deemed not to have been restored to a customer’s premises within the prescribed period if the total length of those interruptions is greater than or equal to the prescribed period.
(4) Where there are one or more interruptions that relate to the same rota disconnection event and the total length of those interruptions is not greater than or equal to the prescribed period but is equal to or greater than 3 hours, then that is deemed to be one period of interruption for the purposes of regulation 10(1) subject to the other provisions of regulation 10.
Exemptions from the normal and severe weather restoration standards
9.—(1) The circumstances described in this regulation are those set out in paragraphs (2) to (11).
(2) It was not reasonable in all the circumstances for the relevant electricity distributor to be aware that the supply had not been restored.
(3) That—
(a)the premises to which the supply was interrupted are situated on an island;
(b)the supply to premises on that island is normally provided through an electric line situated on or under the sea bed;
(c)the failure, fault or damage occurred in that part of the electric line that is situated below the high-water mark of spring tides; and
(d)no alternative means is normally available to the relevant electricity distributor to supply the premises on that island.
(4) The customer at premises at which the supply was interrupted was not a Priority Services Register Customer and, within a period of three months from the date upon which the supply was restored to those premises, the relevant electricity distributor to whose network the customer’s premises are connected has—
(a)despite its reasonable endeavours, been unable to identify the customer to whom compensation in respect of the circumstance referred to in regulation 5(1), 6(1), 7(1), 7(2), 7(3) or 8(1) was due; or
(b)not received a claim for compensation from the customer in respect of the circumstance referred to in regulation 5(1), 6(1), 7(1), 7(2), 7(3) or 8(1).
(5) The customer informs the relevant electricity distributor before the contravention time that the customer does not wish that distributor to take any action, or any further action in relation to the matter.
(6) The customer agrees with the relevant electricity distributor that the action taken by that distributor before the contravention time may be treated as the taking by the distributor of the action required by the regulation and, where the action taken by the distributor includes a promise to perform any action (whether before or after the contravention time), the distributor duly performs that promise.
(7) The failure of, fault in, or damage to the relevant electricity distributor’s distribution system, or that distributor’s inability to take the action required by the regulation in relation to such failure, fault, or damage before the contravention time, was the result of an event for which emergency regulations have been made under Part 2 of the Civil Contingencies Act 2004(6).
(8) It was not reasonably practicable for the relevant electricity distributor to take the action required by the regulation before the contravention time as a result of—
(a)industrial action by the employees of that distributor;
(b)the act or default of a person other than an officer, employee or agent of the relevant electricity distributor or any other electricity distributor, or of a person acting on behalf of an agent thereof;
(c)the inability of that distributor to obtain any necessary access to any premises (which may include its own premises);
(d)the existence of circumstances by reason of which that distributor could reasonably expect that if it took the action it would or would be likely to be in breach of an enactment (including any directions given by the Secretary of State under section 96 of the Act(7)); or
(e)circumstances of an exceptional nature beyond the control of the relevant electricity distributor (other than severe weather or the effects of severe weather or those circumstances set out in sub-paragraphs (8)(a) to (d) of this regulation),
and the relevant electricity distributor had in each case 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.
(9) Where the interruption of supply to the customer’s premises would not have occurred but for a failure of, fault in or damage to the distribution system of another electricity distributor.
(10) The relevant electricity distributor reasonably considers that the information given by the customer is frivolous or vexatious.
(11) The customer has committed an offence under paragraph 6 of Schedule 6 to the Act(8) and the action taken or not taken by the relevant electricity distributor was in exercise of its powers under that paragraph.
(12) In this regulation—
“contravention time” means—
in relation to regulation 5, the expiry of the relevant period referred to in paragraph (2)(a) and (where applicable) of each period referred to in paragraph (2)(b) of that regulation;
in relation to regulation 6, the expiry of the relevant period referred to in paragraph (2)(a) and (where applicable) of each period referred to in paragraph (2)(b) of that regulation;
in relation to regulation 7, the expiry of the relevant periods referred to in paragraphs (4)(a), (5)(a) and (6)(a) and (where applicable) of each period referred to in paragraphs (4)(b), (5)(b) and (6)(b) of that regulation; and
in relation to regulation 8, the expiry of the prescribed period referred to in paragraph (2) of that regulation; and
“distributor” includes (where the case requires) a reference to more than one distributor.
Supply restoration: multiple interruptions
10.—(1) This regulation applies to an electricity distributor where the supply to a customer’s premises that are directly connected to that electricity distributor’s distribution system is interrupted for four periods, each of not less than three hours, during a relevant year.
(2) For the purposes of paragraph (1)—
(a)where successive interruptions are caused by or arise during actions taken by any electricity distributor to effect temporary or permanent restoration of the supply to those premises or to other premises affected by the event that caused the interruption of supply to the premises, any temporary restoration of supply for a period not exceeding three minutes is ignored in calculating the period of the interruption;
(b)the period of an interruption is deemed to start at the first time at which the distributor—
(i)is informed by a customer that the supply to the customer’s premises has been interrupted; or
(ii)is informed by a person other than the customer or is otherwise made aware by the operation of any automatic system operated by the distributor of circumstances in which the supply to the customer’s premises has been interrupted or may reasonably be expected to have been interrupted; and
(c)an interruption in any of the circumstances described in paragraph (3) is not treated as an interruption.
(3) The circumstances described in this paragraph are—
(a)within the period of three hours after the interruption began—
(i)the customer informed the distributor that the customer did not wish the distributor to take any action or any further action;
(ii)the customer agreed with the electricity distributor that the action taken by the distributor before the expiry of that period should be treated as the taking by the distributor of the action required to cause the interruption to cease and, where that action included a promise to perform any action (whether within or after the expiry of that period) the distributor duly performed that promise; or
(iii)it was not reasonably practicable for an electricity distributor to take the action required to cause the interruption to cease as a result of the existence of circumstances by reason of which the distributor could reasonably have expected that if it took that action it would have been or would be likely to have been in breach of an enactment (including any directions given by the Secretary of State under section 96 of the Act);
(b)the distributor had given to the customer prior notice of its intention or any other electricity distributor’s intention to interrupt the supply to the customer’s premises;
(c)the interruption was a result of a failure of, fault in or damage to either the transmission system to which the electricity distributor’s distribution system or another electricity distributor’s distribution system was connected or a generating station connected to that transmission system;
(d)the interruption was a result of a failure of, fault in or damage to a generating station connected to the distributor’s distribution system or another electricity distributor’s distribution system;
(e)the interruption was one where regulation 5, 6, 7, 8 or 11 applies;
(f)the interruption was a result of the act or default of the electricity supplier to the premises or of the customer;
(g)the cause of the interruption resulted in the interruption of supply to more than 500,000 customers in Great Britain as notified by the Authority to the distributor; or
(h)the interruption, or the inability of an electricity distributor to take the action required in order to cause the interruption to cease before the expiry of the period of three hours after the interruption began, was the result of an event for which emergency regulations have been made under Part 2 of the Civil Contingencies Act 2004.
(4) Where this regulation applies, the distributor must, except in any of the circumstances described in paragraph (5), pay the prescribed sum to the customer.
(5) The circumstances referred to in paragraph (4) are—
(a)that the electricity distributor has not received a claim for compensation from the customer within a period of three months after the expiry of the relevant year in which this regulation applies;
(b)that the interruptions as a result of which this regulation applies were not all in respect of the supply to the same premises; or
(c)that the customer (or where more than one person is the customer, at least one such person) was not the customer at the premises to which the supply was interrupted on the occasion of each of the interruptions as a result of which this regulation applies.
(6) In this regulation, “relevant year” means a period of 12 months commencing on 1st April.
PART 3Other Individual Standards of Performance for Electricity Distributors
Distributor’s fuse
11.—(1) This regulation applies to an electricity distributor where that distributor is informed by a telephone call, text message or email made by a customer whose premises are directly connected to that distributor’s distribution system that, or of circumstances suggesting that, the distributor’s fuse has operated so as to disconnect the supply to those premises.
(2) For the purposes of paragraph (1)—
(a)where information is received by the distributor outside working hours it is deemed to have been received at the commencement of the next following period of working hours; and
(b)without prejudice to sub-paragraph (a), the information is deemed to be received by the distributor when it is received at the distributor’s specified contact points for receiving such information.
(3) Where, within the prescribed period from the applicable date, an appropriate person fails to attend at the premises where the distributor’s fuse is situated for the purpose of replacing or reinstating that fuse and restoring the supply, the distributor must, except in any of the circumstances described in paragraph (4), pay to the customer the prescribed sum.
(4) The circumstances referred to in paragraph (3) are—
(a)each of the circumstances described in regulation 20;
(b)that the customer requested the distributor not to restore the supply; and
(c)that the distributor’s fuse had not operated so as to disconnect the supply.
(5) In this regulation, “appropriate person” means a person employed or authorised by the distributor to restore the supply where the distributor’s fuse has operated.
Notice of supply interruption
12.—(1) Paragraph (4) applies to an electricity distributor where, for an authorised purpose, that distributor interrupts the supply to a customer’s premises that are directly connected to its distribution system.
(2) Paragraph (5) applies to an electricity distributor where, for an authorised purpose, that distributor interrupts the supply to a customer’s premises that are directly connected to the distribution system of another electricity distributor.
(3) Paragraph (6) applies to an electricity distributor where that distributor has received notice from another electricity distributor within the prescribed period under paragraph (5) that supplies to a customer’s premises that are directly connected to its distribution system will be interrupted or are expected to be interrupted for an authorised purpose by another electricity distributor.
(4) Where this paragraph applies and the distributor—
(a)has failed to give to the customer prior notice of not less than the prescribed period, stating the day on which the supply is or is expected to be interrupted; or
(b)interrupts the supply on a day other than a day stated in the notice,
the distributor must, except in any of the circumstances described in paragraph (7), pay to the customer the prescribed sum.
(5) Where this paragraph applies and the distributor—
(a)has failed to give the other electricity distributor prior notice of not less than the prescribed period, stating the day upon which the supply is or is expected to be interrupted, for onward transmission to the customer; or
(b)interrupts the supply on a day other than a day stated in the notice;
the distributor must, except in any of the circumstances described in paragraph (7), pay to the customer the prescribed sum.
(6) Where this paragraph applies and the distributor has failed to give the customer prior notice of not less than the prescribed period, stating the day on which supply is expected to be interrupted, the distributor must, except in any of the circumstances prescribed in paragraph (7), pay to the customer the prescribed sum.
(7) The circumstances described in this paragraph are—
(a)each of the circumstances described in paragraphs (3), (6) and (7) of regulation 20;
(b)that the interruption was caused by the removal of a temporary supply that had been installed following an interruption of supply to the customer’s premises while supply was being restored to the premises; and
(c)that the distributor to whose distribution system the customer’s premises are directly connected has not received a claim for compensation from the customer in respect of any failure referred to in paragraphs (4), (5) and (6) within a period of one month from the applicable date.
(8) In this regulation, “authorised purpose”, in relation to an electricity distributor, means testing or any other planned purpose connected with the carrying on of the activities that the distributor is authorised by its licence to carry on in relation to its electric lines and electrical plant (other than the distributor’s fuse).
Voltage complaint
13.—(1) This regulation applies to an electricity distributor where that distributor is notified by a customer whose premises are directly connected to its distribution system that—
(a)the customer believes that the supply to the premises is being or has been given at a voltage outside the limits of the permitted variations; or
(b)an event has occurred in relation to the supply and a distributor might reasonably expect the cause of the event to have been a supply given at a voltage outside the limits of the permitted variations.
(2) Where paragraph (3) applies, and the distributor fails within the prescribed period from the applicable date to offer to the customer to visit the customer’s premises to investigate the matter during a specified time, the distributor must, except in any of the circumstances described in paragraph (5), pay to the customer the prescribed sum.
(3) This paragraph applies where the distributor is reasonably satisfied that it is unable to provide an explanation of the probable reason for the matter notified under paragraph (1) without visiting the customer’s premises.
(4) Where this regulation applies and the distributor—
(a)where paragraph (3) applies, fails to visit the customer’s premises during the specified time, it must pay to the customer the prescribed sum; or
(b)where paragraph (3) does not apply, fails to dispatch to the customer an explanation of the probable reason for the matter notified under paragraph (1) within the prescribed period from the receipt of the notification, it must pay to the customer the prescribed sum,
except in either case in any of the circumstances described in paragraph (5).
(5) The circumstances described in this paragraph are each of the circumstances described in regulation 20 provided that, in relation to paragraph (6) of that regulation, the distributor gave the customer not less than one working day’s prior warning (whether or not in writing) that it would be unable to visit during the specified time or the circumstances in which that paragraph applied occurred at a time when it was not reasonably practicable to give such a warning.
(6) In this regulation, “permitted variations” has the same meaning as in regulations made under section 29 of the Act(9).
PART 4Individual Standards of Performance for Relevant Suppliers
Charges and payments
14.—(1) This regulation applies where a customer informs a relevant supplier—
(a)that the customer requests a change in the method by which he makes payment to the relevant supplier in respect of the supply; or
(b)of a query as to—
(i)the correctness of an account relating to the supply presented to the customer by the relevant supplier (other than in circumstances in which regulation 15 applies); or
(ii)whether, in relation to the matter or matters described by the customer, any payment ought to be made to the customer and the matter is one to which these Regulations apply or appear to apply.
(2) Where this regulation applies, the relevant supplier must, except in any of the circumstances described in paragraph (3), pay to the customer the prescribed sum if the relevant supplier fails—
(a)in the case of a request under paragraph (1)(a) and where the relevant supplier does not expect to be able to approve the request, to dispatch a substantive reply to the customer within the prescribed period from the date of receipt of the information;
(b)in the case of a query under paragraph (1)(b), to dispatch a substantive reply to the customer within the prescribed period from the date of receipt of the information; or
(c)in the case of a query under paragraph (1)(b)(i) to which the relevant supplier’s reply states that the customer is entitled to a payment from the relevant supplier, to make payment by cash, cheque, bank transfer or postal order to the customer of the amount due within the prescribed period from the date of dispatch of the relevant supplier’s reply.
(3) The circumstances described in this paragraph are—
(a)each of the circumstances described in regulation 20; and
(b)in respect of a query under paragraph (1)(b)(ii), that the relevant supplier has previously made a payment to the customer under paragraph (6) of regulation 19 relating to the matter.
PART 5Individual Standards of Performance for Electricity Suppliers
Meter disputes
15.—(1) This regulation applies where an electricity supplier is notified by a domestic customer—
(a)that the customer considers that an appropriate meter is or may have been operating outside the margins of error; or
(b)that circumstances exist that an electricity supplier might reasonably expect to have been caused by the meter operating outside the margins of error.
(2) Where paragraph (3) applies, and the electricity supplier fails within the prescribed period from the applicable date to offer to visit the customer’s premises to investigate the matter during a specified time, the electricity supplier must, except in any of the circumstances described in paragraph (5), pay to the customer the prescribed sum.
(3) This paragraph applies where the electricity supplier is reasonably satisfied that it is unable to provide an explanation to the customer of the probable reason for the matters notified under paragraph (1) without visiting the customer’s premises.
(4) Where this regulation applies and the electricity supplier—
(a)where paragraph (3) applies, fails to visit the customer’s premises during the specified time, it must pay to the customer the prescribed sum; or
(b)where paragraph (3) does not apply, fails to dispatch to the customer an explanation of the probable reason for the matter notified under paragraph (1) within the prescribed period from the receipt of the notification, it must pay to the customer the prescribed sum,
except in either case in any of the circumstances described in paragraph (5).
(5) The circumstances described in this paragraph are each of the circumstances described in regulation 20, provided that, in relation to paragraph (6) of that regulation, the electricity supplier gave the customer not less than one working day’s prior warning (whether or not in writing) that it would be unable to visit during the specified time or the circumstances referred to in that paragraph occurred at a time when it was not reasonably practicable to give such a warning.
Pre-payment meters
16.—(1) This regulation applies where an electricity supplier is informed (other than by post) by a domestic customer who takes their supply through a pre-payment meter either that the pre-payment meter is not operating so as to permit a supply to be given to the customer’s premises in the manner for which that meter was designed, or of circumstances suggesting that it is not so operating.
(2) For the purposes of paragraph (1), where information is received by an electricity supplier outside working hours it is deemed to have been received at the commencement of the next following period of working hours.
(3) Where, within the prescribed period from the applicable date, an appropriate person fails to attend at the premises where the pre-payment meter is installed in order to repair or replace it so as to permit a supply to be given to those premises in the manner for which that meter was designed, the electricity supplier must, except in any of the circumstances described in paragraph (4), pay to the customer the prescribed sum.
(4) The circumstances described in this paragraph are—
(a)each of the circumstances described in regulation 20;
(b)that the customer requested the electricity supplier not to attend the premises;
(c)that the customer requested the electricity supplier not to restore the supply; and
(d)that the pre-payment meter was found to be operating in the manner for which it was designed.
(5) In this regulation, “appropriate person” means a person employed or authorised by an electricity supplier to repair and replace pre-payment meters.
PART 6Common Obligations
Appointments
17.—(1) This regulation applies where—
(a)the customer informs the relevant operator that the customer wishes the relevant operator to visit the customer’s premises; or
(b)the relevant operator informs the customer that the relevant operator wishes to visit the customer’s premises,
being in either case a visit in connection with the activities that the relevant operator is required or authorised to carry on under its licence and that requires access to be afforded to its representative or for which it would otherwise be reasonable to expect the customer to be present.
(2) But this regulation does not apply to a visit arising out of the application of the Electricity (Connection Standards of Performance) Regulations 2015(10).
(3) Where this regulation applies and the relevant operator fails within a reasonable period from the applicable date to offer a timed appointment, the relevant operator must, except in any of the circumstances described in paragraph (6)—
(a)pay to the customer the prescribed sum which applies if the relevant operator is a supplier; or
(b)pay to the customer the prescribed sum which applies if the relevant operator is a distributor.
(4) Where this regulation applies and the relevant operator fails to keep a timed appointment, the relevant operator must, except in any of the circumstances described in paragraph (6)—
(a)pay to the customer the prescribed sum which applies if the relevant operator is a supplier; or
(b)pay to the customer the prescribed sum which applies if the relevant operator is a distributor.
(5) Where a timed appointment is made for more than one purpose, the relevant operator is not required to pay more than one prescribed sum under paragraph (4)(a) or (b) in respect of that timed appointment.
(6) The circumstances described in this paragraph are—
(a)each of the circumstances described in regulation 20, provided that, in paragraph (6) of that regulation, the relevant operator gave the customer not less than one working day’s prior warning (whether or not in writing) that it would be unable to keep the timed appointment or the circumstances referred to in that paragraph occurred at a time when it was not reasonably practicable to give such a warning;
(b)that the visit is for the purpose of responding to information received under regulations 11, 13, 15 or 16; and
(c)that the visit is wholly or mainly in connection with disconnecting the premises in exercise of the power contained in paragraph 2(1) of Schedule 6 to the Act(11).
(7) In this regulation, “timed appointment” means an appointment to make a visit to a customer’s premises commencing—
(a)unless sub-paragraph (b) applies, during a part (which has been specified by the relevant operator) of a day (that has also been so specified) within a reasonable period from the applicable date, having regard to the purpose of the visit, being either—
(i)a part that falls either wholly before one o-clock in the afternoon; or
(ii)wholly after noon, or a part not exceeding two hours; or
(b)during such part of a day as is requested by the customer and agreed with the relevant operator, such agreement not to be unreasonably withheld, provided that the relevant operator is not obliged to agree a part of a day that is less than two hours.
Disputes
18. Schedule 3 sets out the practice and procedure to be followed in connection with the determination of any dispute under section 39 or 39A of the Act(12), or any provision of these Regulations, which is referred to the Authority under section 39B(1) of the Act(13).
Payments
19.—(1) Paragraph (4) applies where an electricity distributor is obliged under any of regulations 5 to 8 and 12 to make a payment to a customer whose premises are directly connected to the distribution system of another electricity distributor.
(2) Paragraph (5) applies—
(a)where an electricity distributor is obliged to make a payment to a customer whose premises are directly connected to its distribution system under any of regulations 5 to 8, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 17; or
(b)where an electricity distributor receives a payment from another electricity distributor for onward transmission to a customer whose premises are directly connected to its network.
(3) Paragraph (6) applies—
(a)where a relevant supplier or electricity supplier is obliged to make a payment to a customer under any of regulations 14 to 17; or
(b)where an electricity supplier receives a payment from an electricity distributor for onward transmission to the electricity supplier’s customer.
(4) Where this paragraph applies and the distributor fails to make the payment to the customer or to the other distributor for onward transmission to the customer of the sum to which he is entitled, in either case as soon as is reasonably practicable in relation to regulation 7 and within the prescribed period from the applicable date in relation to any other regulations, the distributor must, except in any of the circumstances described in paragraph (7), pay the prescribed sum to the customer or that other distributor for onward transmission to the customer.
(5) Where this paragraph applies and the distributor fails to make the payment to the customer or the customer’s electricity supplier for onward transmission to the customer of the sum to which the customer is entitled, in either case as soon as is reasonably practicable in relation to regulation 7 and within the prescribed period from the applicable date in relation to any other regulation, the distributor must, except in any of the circumstances described in paragraph (7), pay the prescribed sum to the customer.
(6) Where this paragraph applies and the supplier fails within the prescribed period from the applicable date to make the payment to the customer of the sum to which the customer is entitled, the supplier must, except in any of the circumstances described in paragraph (7), pay the prescribed sum to the customer.
(7) The circumstances described in this paragraph are—
(a)each of the circumstances described in regulation 20; and
(b)that there is a genuine dispute between the relevant operator and the customer as to whether the relevant operator is obliged to make the payment.
(8) Where a relevant operator is required to make a payment under these Regulations—
(a)in relation to any premises at which more than one person is a customer, a payment to any one or more of the customers in respect of those premises is a complete discharge of the obligation of the relevant operator to make the payment to all the customers of those premises;
(b)nothing in, or done by a relevant operator in consequence of, these Regulations determines who is beneficially entitled to any payment made in pursuance of these Regulations; and
(c)nothing in these Regulations permits a relevant operator to make a payment other than by means of—
(i)a cheque or cash; or
(ii)a credit to the account of the customer for charges incurred or to be incurred in respect of the supply or the provision of any electricity meter, electric line, or electrical plant.
(9) Where all or part of the prescribed sum is paid by an electricity distributor to a customer under these Regulations, such a payment does not prejudice that distributor from recovering that payment (or part of that payment) from another electricity distributor where that other distributor is found to be wholly or partly responsible for the liability arising under these Regulations.
Exemptions
20.—(1) The circumstances described in this regulation are those set out in paragraphs (2) to (4) and (6) to (8).
(2) The customer informs the relevant operator before the contravention time that the customer does not wish the relevant operator to take any action, or any further action, in relation to the matter.
(3) The customer agrees with the relevant operator that the action taken by the relevant operator before the contravention time may be treated as the taking by the relevant operator of the action required by the regulation and, where the action taken by the relevant operator includes a promise to perform any action (whether before or after the contravention time), the relevant operator duly performs that promise.
(4) Where information is or is required to be provided by the customer to the relevant operator, the information is provided to an address or by use of a telephone number other than the address or telephone number that the relevant operator has advised the customer is appropriate for receipt of information of that type or, in the case of information given by telephone for the purpose of regulation 13(1), 14(1) or 15(1), was given outside such reasonable hours as the relevant operator has advised the customer are the hours during which the telephone number will be available for the receipt of information of that type.
(5) For the purposes of paragraph (4), the relevant operator may advise the customer by publishing the address, the telephone number, or the hours in such a manner as may be appropriate for the purpose of bringing the advice to the attention of customers likely to be affected by it.
(6) It was not reasonably practicable for the relevant operator to take the action required by the regulation before the contravention time as a result of—
(a)severe weather conditions;
(b)industrial action by the employees of the relevant operator;
(c)the act or default of a person other than an officer, employee or agent of the relevant operator, or of a person acting on behalf of an agent thereof;
(d)the inability of the relevant operator to obtain any necessary access to any premises (which may include its own premises);
(e)the existence of circumstances by reason of which the relevant operator could reasonably expect that if it took the action it would or would be likely to be in breach of an enactment (including any directions given by the Secretary of State under section 96 of the Act(14));
(f)the effects of an event for which emergency regulations have been made under Part 2 of the Civil Contingencies Act 2004(15); or
(g)other circumstances of an exceptional nature beyond the control of the relevant operator,
and the relevant operator had in each case 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.
(7) The relevant operator reasonably considers that the information given by the customer is frivolous or vexatious.
(8) The customer has—
(a)committed an offence under paragraph 6 of Schedule 6(16) or paragraph 11 of Schedule 7 to the Act; or
(b)failed to pay any charges due to the relevant operator after receiving a notice under paragraph 2(2) of Schedule 6(17) to the Act,
and the action taken or not taken by the relevant operator was in exercise of its powers under that paragraph.
(9) In this regulation, “contravention time” means—
(a)in relation to regulation 12, the time at which the supply was interrupted; and
(b)in relation to any other regulation, the time at which, if this regulation did not apply, the relevant operator would become liable to pay the prescribed sum to the customer.
Timing of notification
21. For the purpose of regulations 13, 14 and 15, where the requirements of paragraph (1) of any of those regulations are satisfied after 4pm on a working day or at any time on any other day, they are deemed to have been satisfied on the next following working day.
Notice of rights
22.—(1) In respect of the rights prescribed for the benefit of customers under regulations 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 17 to 21, an electricity distributor must prepare and from time to time revise a statement describing those rights and the effect of section 39A(5) of the Act(18) in a form that is standardised with that of other electricity distributors and has a content that the electricity distributor could reasonably expect would be within the understanding of customers to which the statement relates and must—
(a)give a copy of the statement, and of any revision of the statement, to the Authority and to the consumer advocacy bodies, before it sends it to the electricity suppliers referred to in sub-paragraph (b);
(b)at least once in any period of 12 months dispatch to each electricity supplier that supplies electricity to premises that are directly connected to the electricity distributor’s distribution system for onward transmission to the electricity supplier’s customers a copy of the statement (in the form current at the time that it is provided);
(c)make a copy of the statement (in its current form) available on its website and for inspection by any person at any premises of or occupied by the electricity distributor open to the public in the normal course of the electricity distributor’s business during the normal opening hours of the premises; and
(d)dispatch a copy of the statement (in its current form) to any person who requests it.
(2) In respect of the rights prescribed for the benefit of customers under regulations 14 to 21 a relevant supplier, and in respect of those rights under regulations 15 to 21 an electricity supplier, must prepare and from time to time revise a statement describing the rights prescribed for the benefit of customers under those regulations and the effect of section 39(4) of the Act(19) in a form and having a content that a relevant supplier or an electricity supplier (as the case may be) could reasonably expect would be within the understanding of customers to which the statement relates and must—
(a)give a copy of the statement, and of any revision of the statement, to the Authority and to the consumer advocacy bodies, before it makes it available to customers;
(b)at least once in any period of 12 months dispatch to each domestic customer of the relevant supplier or electricity supplier (as the case may be) a copy of the statement (in the form current at the time it is provided), provided that, where in relation to any premises more than one person is a domestic customer, the obligation is satisfied by dispatching a copy of each such statement to any one of them;
(c)make a copy of the statement (in its current form) available for inspection by any person at any premises of or occupied by the supplier open to the public in the normal course of the supplier’s business during the normal opening hours of the premises; and
(d)dispatch a copy of the statement (in its current form) to any person who requests it.
(3) A relevant operator may prepare a separate statement for domestic and non-domestic customers.
(4) A relevant supplier or an electricity supplier (as the case may be) may satisfy its obligation under sub-paragraph (b) or (d) of paragraph (2) by dispatching the statement that it has prepared to the class of customer to which the statement relates.
(5) An electricity supplier must at least once in any period of 12 months dispatch to each of its domestic customers the information in any statement sent to it by an electricity distributor pursuant to paragraph (1)(b), provided that where in relation to any premises more than one person is a domestic customer, the obligation is satisfied by dispatching such information to any one of them.
PART 7Overall Standards of Performance
Information to be given to customers about overall performance
23.—(1) In respect of the overall standards of performance determined by the Authority under section 40 of the Act(20), a relevant supplier must prepare and from time to time revise a statement describing those standards and the levels of performance achieved as respects those standards in a form and having a content that a relevant supplier could reasonably expect would be within the understanding of customers to which the statement relates and must—
(a)give a copy of the statement, and of any revision of the statement, to the Authority and to the consumer advocacy bodies before it makes it available to customers;
(b)at least once in any period of 12 months dispatch to each domestic customer of the supplier a copy of the statement (in the form current at the time it is provided), provided that, where in relation to any premises more than one person is a domestic customer, the obligation is satisfied by dispatching a copy of each such statement to any one of them;
(c)make a copy of the statement (in its current form) available for inspection by any person at any premises of or occupied by the supplier open to customers in the normal course of the supplier’s business during the normal opening hours of the premises; and
(d)dispatch a copy of the statement (in its current form) to any person who requests it.
(2) A relevant supplier may prepare a separate statement for domestic and non-domestic customers.
(3) A relevant supplier may satisfy its obligation under sub-paragraph (b) or (d) of paragraph (1) by dispatching the statement it has prepared to the class of customer to whom it relates.
The seal of the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority here affixed is authenticated by the signature of
Dermot Nolan
A member of the Authority
12th March 2015
I consent
Matthew Hancock
Minister of State
Department of Energy and Climate Change
13th March 2015