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The Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations 2002

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This is the original version (as it was originally made).

PART VIISUPPLIES TO INSTALLATIONS AND TO OTHER NETWORKS

Precautions against supply failure

23.—(1) A distributor shall ensure that his network shall be—

(a)so arranged; and

(b)so provided, where necessary, with fuses or automatic switching devices, appropriately located and set,

as to restrict, so far as is reasonably practicable, the number of consumers affected by any fault in his network.

(2) Subject to regulation 29, a distributor shall at all times take all reasonably practicable steps to avoid interruptions of supply resulting from his own acts.

Equipment on a consumer’s premises

24.—(1) A distributor or meter operator shall ensure that each item of his equipment which is on a consumer’s premises but which is not under the control of the consumer (whether forming part of the consumer’s installation or not) is—

(a)suitable for its purpose;

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

(c)protected by a suitable fusible cut-out or circuit breaker which is situated as close as is reasonably practicable to the supply terminals.

(2) Every circuit breaker or cut-out fuse forming part of the fusible cut-out mentioned in paragraph (1)(c) shall be enclosed in a locked or sealed container as appropriate.

(3) Where they form part of his equipment which is on a consumer’s premises but which is not under the control of the consumer, a distributor or meter operator (as appropriate) shall mark permanently, so as clearly to identify the polarity of each of them, the separate conductors of low voltage electric lines which are connected to supply terminals and such markings shall be made at a point which is as close as is practicable to the supply terminals in question.

(4) Unless he can reasonably conclude that it is inappropriate for reasons of safety, a distributor shall, when providing a new connection at low voltage, make available his supply neutral conductor or, if appropriate, the protective conductor of his network for connection to the protective conductor of the consumer’s installation.

(5) In this regulation the expression “new connection” means the first electric line, or the replacement of an existing electric line, to one or more consumer’s installations.

Connections to installations or to other networks

25.—(1) No person shall make or alter a connection from a distributor’s network to a consumer’s installation, a street electrical fixture or to another distributor’s network without that distributor’s consent, unless such consent has been unreasonably withheld.

(2) A distributor shall not give his consent to the making or altering of the connection referred to in paragraph (1), where he has reasonable grounds for believing that—

(a)the consumer’s installation, street electrical fixture or other distributor’s network fails to comply with British Standard Requirements or these Regulations; or

(b)the connection itself will not be so constructed, installed, protected and used or arranged for use, so as to prevent as far as is reasonably practicable, danger or interruption of supply.

(3) Any dispute between a person to whom paragraph (1) refers and the distributor, arising from delay in giving or refusal to give the consent required by paragraph (1) by virtue of the provisions of paragraph (2), which cannot be resolved between them may be referred by either of them to the Secretary of State who shall appoint a suitably qualified person to determine the dispute and to order as he thinks fit whether the costs (or any part of them) associated with the determination should be borne by one or other of the parties.

(4) Following the determination by the person appointed by the Secretary of State, the distributor shall grant or withhold the consent required in paragraph (1) as appropriate, subject to any conditions which the person appointed by the Secretary of State may stipulate in his determination.

Disconnection of supply, refusal to connect and resolution of disagreements

26.—(1) Where a connection to a distributor’s network has been made, or is proposed, and the distributor is not satisfied that the consumer’s installation or other distributor’s network or street electrical fixture which is or would be connected to his network is or would be so constructed, installed, protected and used or arranged for use so as to prevent, so far as is reasonably practicable, danger or interference with his or any other distributor’s network, or with the supply to any consumer’s installation or street electrical fixture, he may issue a notice in writing to the consumer or other distributor or owner of the street electrical fixture (as the case may be) requiring remedial works to be carried out within such reasonable period as may be specified in the notice.

(2) If the remedial works specified in the notice by the distributor are not carried out by the end of the period specified in the notice the distributor may disconnect or refuse to connect (as the case may be) the supply to the consumer’s installation or other distributor’s network or street electrical fixture, and in such an event the distributor shall by further notice in writing addressed to the consumer or other distributor or owner of the street electrical fixture (as the case may be) set out the reasons for the disconnection or refusal to connect.

(3) A distributor may disconnect the supply to the consumer’s installation or other distributor’s network or street electrical fixture without giving notice as required by paragraph (1) if such disconnection can be justified on grounds of safety, but in such an event the distributor shall by notice in writing addressed to the consumer or other distributor or owner of the street electrical fixture (as the case may be) and served as soon as reasonably practicable after the disconnection, give the reasons for such disconnection and if applicable details of any remedial measures required to be taken by the consumer or other distributor or owner of the street electrical fixture.

(4) The distributor shall connect or restore the supply when the stipulated remedial measures have been taken by the consumer or other distributor or owner of the street electrical fixture (as the case may be) to the reasonable satisfaction of the distributor, or if no remedial measures are required, as soon as is reasonably practicable after the grounds for disconnection have ceased to apply.

(5) Any dispute between the distributor and the consumer or other distributor or owner of the street electrical fixture (as the case may be), over the disconnection of or refusal to connect the consumer’s installation or other distributor’s network or street electrical fixture which cannot be resolved between them, may be referred by any of them to the Secretary of State who shall appoint a suitably qualified person to determine the dispute and to order as he thinks fit whether the costs (or any part of them) associated with the determination should be borne by one or other of the parties.

(6) Where a referral is made to the Secretary of State in accordance with paragraph (5) before the expiry of the notice period referred to in paragraph (1), the distributor shall not take any action pursuant to paragraph (2) until the determination of the dispute.

(7) Following the determination by the person appointed by the Secretary of State, the distributor shall maintain, connect, restore or may disconnect the supply as appropriate, subject to any conditions which the person appointed by the Secretary of State may stipulate in his determination.

(8) A copy of this regulation shall be endorsed upon or accompany every notice given by the distributor pursuant to this regulation.

Declaration of phases, frequency and voltage at supply terminals

27.—(1) Before commencing a supply to a consumer’s installation, or when the existing supply characteristics have been modified, the supplier shall ascertain from the distributor and then declare to the consumer—

(a)the number of phases;

(b)the frequency; and

(c)the voltage,

at which it is proposed to supply electricity and the extent of the permitted variations thereto.

(2) Unless otherwise agreed in writing between the distributor, the supplier and the consumer (and if necessary between the distributor and any other distributor likely to be affected) the frequency declared pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be 50 hertz and the voltage declared in respect of a low voltage supply shall be 230 volts between the phase and neutral conductors at the supply terminals.

(3) For the purposes of this regulation, unless otherwise agreed in writing by those persons specified in paragraph (2), the permitted variations are—

(a)a variation not exceeding 1 per cent above or below the declared frequency;

(b)in the case of a low voltage supply, a variation not exceeding 10 per cent above or 6 per cent below the declared voltage at the declared frequency;

(c)in the case of a high voltage supply operating at a voltage below 132,000 volts, a variation not exceeding 6 per cent above or below the declared voltage at the declared frequency; and

(d)in the case of a high voltage supply operating at a voltage of 132,000 volts or above, a variation not exceeding 10 per cent above or below the declared voltage at the declared frequency.

(4) The Secretary of State may, following an application by any distributor affected by a declaration made pursuant to paragraph (1), authorise the variation of any of the values or permitted variations contained in a declaration provided that the applicant has previously given notice of his application to such persons and in such terms as the Secretary of State may require.

(5) Where the Secretary of State has authorised a variation under paragraph (4) the distributor shall forthwith serve notice of any such variation on every supplier, other distributor referred to in paragraph (2), and consumer to whom it may apply.

(6) Every distributor shall ensure that, save in exceptional circumstances, the characteristics of the supplies to consumer’s installations connected to his network comply with the declarations made under paragraph (1).

(7) The number and rotation of phases in any supply shall not be varied by the distributor except with 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 she thinks appropriate.

Information to be provided on request

28.  A distributor shall provide, in respect of any existing or proposed consumer’s installation which is connected or is to be connected to his network, to any person who can show a reasonable cause for requiring the information, a written statement of—

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

(b)for low voltage connections, the maximum earth loop impedance of the earth fault path outside the installation;

(c)the type and rating of the distributor’s protective device or devices nearest to the supply terminals;

(d)the type of earthing system applicable to the connection; and

(e)the information specified in regulation 27(1),

which apply, or will apply, to that installation.

Discontinuation of supplies

29.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), a distributor may discontinue a supply for the purposes of testing or for any other purpose connected with the carrying on of his activities.

(2) A distributor may discontinue a supply pursuant to paragraph (1) only—

(a)for such period as may be necessary but no longer; and

(b)subject to paragraph (3), if not less than 2 days notice in writing has been received by the relevant persons.

(3) A distributor may discontinue a supply even if the notice required by paragraph (2)(b) has not been received by the relevant persons if—

(a)the discontinuation is agreed between the relevant persons and the distributor; or

(b)the distributor considers it necessary to discontinue supplies to the relevant persons in order to prevent danger or to undertake essential emergency repairs; or

(c)if there is an urgent need to discontinue the supply relating to the safe or proper operation of the network; or

(d)the notice is not received by the relevant persons due to circumstances not within the control of the distributor.

(4) In this regulation the expression “relevant persons” means every consumer likely to be affected by a discontinuation of supply by a distributor and every other distributor likely to be affected by that discontinuation.

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