Citation and commencement

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Electricity Grants (Prescribed Purpose) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005 and shall come into operation on 25th March 2005.

Purpose of Grant

2.  For the purposes of paragraph (3)(e) of Article 61 of the Energy (Northern Ireland) Order 2003, the following is prescribed as a purpose which a grant under paragraph (1)(a) of that Article must be likely to achieve, that is to say to defray the cost to persons authorised by licences or exemptions to supply or transmit electricity of taking measures to increase efficiency and economy on the part of consumers of electricity.

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations.)

Article 61 of the Energy (Northern Ireland) Order 2003 (“the Order”) enables the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment to make grants for certain energy purposes. Paragraph (1)(a) in particular allows grants to be made to persons engaged in, or in commercial activities connected with the generation, transmission or supply of electricity. Grants cannot be made under Article 61 of the Order unless in the opinion of the Department the making of the grant is likely to achieve certain purposes and the amount is reasonable having regard to all the circumstances. The purposes for which the grant can be made are set out in Article 61(3)(a) to (d) of the Order. Article 61(3)(e), however, enables the Department, with the approval of the Department of Finance and Personnel, to prescribe additional purposes. In exercise of that power these Regulations prescribe, as the purpose for which grant must be payable under Article 61(1)(a) of the Order, the defraying of the cost of measures taken by the holders of electricity transmission or supply licences or exemptions to enable consumers to use electricity more efficiently and economically.