The Electricity Supply Regulations 1988

PART VISUPPLY TO CONSUMER'S INSTALLATIONS

Supplier’s works on consumer’s premises

25.—(1) The supplier shall ensure that all his works on a consumer’s premises which are not under the control of the consumer (whether forming part of the consumer’s installation or not) are—

(a)suitable for their respective purposes;

(b)installed and, so far as is reasonably practicable, maintained so as to prevent danger: and

(c)protected, so far as is reasonably practicable, by a suitable fusible cut-out or automatic switching device as close as reasonably practicable to the supply terminals.

Provided that no such fusible cut-out or automatic switching device shall be inserted in any conductor connected with earth.

(2) The standard of construction and installation to be adopted in complying with paragraph (1) shall not be lower than that imposed by regulation 27.

(3) Every cut-out or automatic switching device mentioned in paragraph (1)(c) on premises not under the supplier’s control shall be enclosed in a locked or sealed container.

(4) Any electric line which forms part of the supplier’s works and which is taken into a building at a point below the level of the ground shall be so installed as to prevent, so far as is reasonably practicable, the influx of any noxious or explosive liquid or gas at the point of entry.

(5) The supplier shall mark permanently the separate conductors of electric lines connected to supply terminals as close as practicable to those terminals to show the polarity of each conductor and, where appropriate, phase rotation.

Interconnected supplies

26.  No person shall knowingly provide energy to his own or any consumer’s installation or allow any electric lines in his ownership or under his control to be used for that purpose if that installation may also be supplied from an alternative source of energy unless he satisfies the requirements of Part I or Part II of Schedule 3.

General conditions as to consumers

27.—(1) No supplier shall be compelled to commence or, subject to regulation 28, to continue to give a supply to any consumer unless he is reasonably satisfied that each part of the consumer’s installation is so constructed, installed, protected and used, so far as is reasonably practicable, as to prevent danger and not to cause undue interference with the supplier’s system or with the supply to others.

(2) Any consumer’s installation which complies with the provisions of the Institution of Electrical Engineers Regulations shall be deemed to comply with the requirements of this regulation as to safety.

Discontinuance of supply in certain circumstances

28.—(1) Where a supplier, after making such examination as the circumstances permit, has reasonable grounds for supposing that a consumer’s installation or any part of it, including any supplier’s works situated on the consumer’s side of the supply terminals, fails to fulfil any relevant requirement of regulation 27, paragraphs (2) to (7) shall apply.

(2) Where, in an emergency, the supplier is satisfied that immediate action is justified in the interests of safety, he may without prior notice discontinue the supply to the consumer’s installation and notice in writing of the disconnection and the reasons for it shall be given to the consumer as soon as is reasonably practicable.

(3) Subject to paragraph (2), the supplier may, by notice in writing specifying the grounds, require the consumer within such reasonable time as the notice shall specify to comply with one or both of the following—

(a)to permit a person duly authorised by the supplier in writing to inspect and test the consumer’s installation or any part of it at a reasonable time;

(b)to take, or desist from, such action as may be necessary to correct or avoid undue interference with the supplier’s supply or apparatus or with the supply to, or the apparatus of, other consumers.

(4) In any of the circumstances specified in paragraph (5) the supplier may, on the expiry of the period specified in the notice referred to in paragraph (3), discontinue the supply to the consumer’s installation and shall give immediate notice in writing to the consumer of the discontinuance.

(5) The circumstances referred to in paragraph (4) are—

(a)that, after service of a notice under paragraph (3)(a), the consumer does not give facilities for inspection or testing; or

(b)in any Other case—

(i)after any such test or inspection the person authorised makes a report confirming that the consumer’s installation (or any part of it) fails to fulfil any relevant requirement of regulation 27; or

(ii)the consumer fails to show to the reasonable satisfaction of the supplier within the period so required that the matter complained of has been remedied or is the responsibility of the supplier.

(6) Any difference between the consumer and the supplier in relation to the grounds or the period specified in any notice of the kind mentioned in paragraph (3)(b) shall be determined in the manner provided by regulation 29.

(7) The supplier shall not discontinue the supply in pursuance of paragraph (4) pending the determination of any difference of the kind mentioned in paragraph (6), and shall not discontinue the supply to the whole of the consumer s installation where it is reasonable to disconnect only a portion of that installation in respect of which complaint is made.

(8) Where in pursuance of this regulation a supplier has disconnected the supply to a consumer’s installation (or any part of it) the supplier shall not recommence the supply unless—

(a)he is satisfied in respect of the consumer’s installation that the relevant requirements of regulation 27 have been fulfilled; or

(b)it has been determined in the manner provided by regulation 29 that the supplier is not entitled under regulation 27 to decline to recommence the supply,

and if he is so satisfied or it is so determined, the supplier shall forthwith recommence the supply.

Notices and determination of differences

29.—(1) In any case where the supplier in pursuance of these Regulations declines—

(a)to connect a consumer’s installation or any part of it with his electric lines; or

(b)to commence or continue a supply to a consumer; or

(c)to recommence the supply to a consumer after it has been discontinued,

then, subject to paragraph (2), any difference which arises between the consumer and the supplier shall be determined by a person appointed by the Secretary of State on the application of the consumer or the supplier and such person may make a direction as to whether the costs of such determination (including any fees or expenses payable to him) shall be borne by the supplier or the consumer.

(2) A person appointed under paragraph (1) shall not determine that the supplier was or is entitled under regulations 27 and 28 to refuse a supply to that installation if the appointed person is satisfied that—

(a)the installation has continued to function satisfactorily and without risk of danger up to the material time; and

(b)the installation is to be, or is being, continued in use only within the limits of the maximum power for which it was intended; and

(c)there are no grounds for supposing that the installation will fail to function satisfactorily for a further reasonable period without risk of danger or of undue interference with the supplier’s system or with the supply to others.

(3) A copy of this regulation and regulation 28 shall be endorsed upon or accompany every notice given by the supplier to a consumer pursuant to this Part of these Regulations.

(4) In any case where in pursuance of these Regulations, an Electricity Board refuses to commence a supply to a consumer or to connect permanently a consumer’s installation with its electric lines, it shall as soon as practicable give notice in writing of its refusal specifying the matter complained of, and any difference which may arise between the consumer and the Electricity Board in regard to the matters specified in the notice, or as to any period specified for remedying the same in any such notice, shall be determined in the manner provided in this regulation.

Declaration of phases, frequency and voltage at supply terminals

30.—(1) Before commencing to give a supply to a consumer, the supplier shall declare to the consumer—

(a)the number and rotation of phases;

(b)the frequency; and

(c)the voltage,

at which it proposes to deliver the supply and the extent of the permitted variations of those values:

Provided that, unless otherwise agreed between the supplier and the consumer, the frequency to be declared shall be 50 hertz and the voltage to be declared in respect of a low voltage supply shall be 240 volts between the phase and neutral conductors at the supply terminals.

(2) For the purposes of this regulation, and unless otherwise agreed by the consumer, the permitted variations are—

(a)a variation not exceeding one per cent above or below the declared frequency; and

(b)a variation not exceeding six per cent above or below the declared voltage at that frequency where that voltage is below 132 kV, and not exceeding 10 per cent above or below the declared voltage where that voltage is 132 kV or above,

or the variation which may have been authorised by the Secretary of State under paragraph (3).

(3) The Secretary of State may, on application by a supplier, authorise him to alter any of the declared values or any permitted variation if he gives such notice of his application as the Secretary of State may require.

(4) The supplier shall forthwith give notice of any authorisation under paragraph (3) to every consumer to whose supply it may apply.

(5) The supplier shall ensure that, save in exceptional circumstances, any supply he gives complies with the declaration under paragraph (1).

(6) The polarity of direct current and the number and rotation of phases in any supply shall not be varied without the agreement of the consumer or, in the absence of such agreement, the consent of the Secretary of State who may impose such conditions, if any, as he thinks appropriate.

Information to be provided on request

31.  The supplier shall provide in respect of the existing or proposed installation of a consumer at low voltage a written statement of—

(a)the maximum prospective short circuit current at the supply terminals; and

(b)the maximum earth loop impedance of the earth fault path outside the consumer’s installation; and

(c)the type and rating of the supplier’s fusible cut-out or switching device nearest to the supply terminals,

which apply, or will apply, to that installation to any person who can show reasonable cause for requiring that information.

Electricity Boards to provide constant supply

32.  From the time when any Electricity Board begins to supply it shall, unless otherwise agreed with the consumer, maintain the supply:

Provided that—

(a)for the purposes of testing or for any other purpose connected with the discharge of the Board’s functions; or

(b)in case of an inevitable accident or force majeure affecting or liable to affect the proper maintenance of the supply,

the supply may be discontinued by the Board for such period as may be necessary but no longer, subject (except in a case of an inevitable accident or force majeure) to not less than two days notice being given by the Board to all consumers likely to be affected by the discontinuance.