The Electricity (Northern Ireland) Order 1992

Electricity supply: performance in individual cases

42.—(1) Regulations may, after consultation with public electricity suppliers and with persons or bodies appearing to the Director to be representative of persons likely to be affected, prescribe such standards of performance in connection with the provision by such suppliers of electricity supply services to tariff customers as, in the opinion of the Director, ought to be achieved in individual cases.

(2) Regulations under this Article may—

(a)prescribe circumstances in which public electricity suppliers are to inform persons of their rights under this Article;

(b)prescribe such standards of performance in relation to any duty arising under sub-paragraph (a) as, in the Director’s opinion, ought to be achieved in all cases; and

(c)prescribe circumstances in which public electricity suppliers are to be exempted from any requirements of the regulations or this Article.

(3) If a public electricity supplier fails to meet a prescribed standard, he shall make to any person who is affected by the failure and is of a prescribed description such compensation as may be determined by or under the regulations.

(4) The making of compensation under this Article in respect of any failure by a public electricity supplier to meet a prescribed standard shall not prejudice any other remedy which may be available in respect of the act or omission which constituted that failure.

(5) Any dispute arising under this Article or regulations made under it—

(a)may be referred to the Director by either party; and

(b)on such a reference, shall be determined by order made either by the Director or, if he thinks fit, by the consumer committee or any sub-committee of that committee;

and the practice and procedure to be followed in connection with any such determination shall be such as may be prescribed.

(6) An order under paragraph (5) shall be final and shall be enforceable as if it were a judgement of the county court.