Recovery of charges
24.—(1) Subject to subsection (2), if a market support services licensee has good cause to direct a transmission licensee to disconnect a non-contestable consumer from the transmission system, including the failure of the consumer to pay an account, the market support services licensee may issue a direction to the transmission licensee to disconnect the consumer from the transmission system.
(2) A market support services licensee shall not direct a transmission licensee to disconnect the supply of electricity to any residential premises by reason of failure by the consumer to pay an account for that supply if the failure occurs through lack of sufficient income of the consumer and of any other person normally resident on the premises supplied until—
- (a) the market support services licensee has offered to advise the consumer about optional methods of arranging payment of the account; and
- (b) the consumer—
- (i) refuses or fails to accept that offer of advice within the period (being not less than 7 days) specified by the market support services licensee in each case; or
- (ii) accepts the offer of advice, but refuses or fails to take any reasonable action to pay the account within the period (being not less than 7 days) specified by the market support services licensee.
(3) A transmission licensee who receives a direction from a market support services licensee under subsection (1) shall comply with that direction as soon as possible.
(4) Subject to this section, if a contestable consumer has not, on the due date, paid all charges due from him to a transmission licensee, the licensee may—
- (a) in accordance with its licence and the market rules, disconnect that consumer from the transmission system;
- (b) discontinue the supply of electricity to the premises, or any other premises occupied by the consumer by such other means as it thinks fit; and
- (c) recover any expenses incurred in so doing from the consumer.
