In forceAmended2020 Revised Edition

Contents

Electricity Act 2001 · 2020 Revised Edition · Part 3 · Licensing of Activities Relating to Electricity

24. Recovery of charges

Amended

Last amended by an amending law of 2018.

(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 a transmission system of the transmission licensee, 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 must 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) must 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 the contestable consumer to a transmission licensee, the licensee may —

(a)

in accordance with its licence and the market rules, disconnect that consumer from the transmission system of the transmission licensee to which the charges relate;

(b)

discontinue the supply of electricity to the premises, or any other premises occupied by the consumer by any other means that the licensee thinks fit; and

(c)

recover any expenses incurred in so doing from the consumer.

(5)

Where a transmission licensee has disconnected the supply of electricity to any premises in consequence of any default on the part of a consumer, the licensee must, subject to the market rules, reconnect the supply of electricity to the consumer within a reasonable time if the consumer in default has —

(a)

made good the default;

(b)

paid the reasonable expenses of disconnecting and re‑connecting the supply; and

(c)

given such security as the transmission licensee may reasonably require.

(6)

Where a market support services licensee receives any payment from a consumer and the consumer has not, in making the payment, indicated to the market support services licensee the charges in respect of which the payment is to be made, the licensee may apportion the payment received to pay such charges in such proportion and manner as may be prescribed.

Terms defined in s 2

consumer
Defined · s 2
“consumer” means a person —(a)to whom electricity is supplied and sold for consumption on that person’s own premises; or(b)whose premises are for the time being connected to any system for the purpose of purchasing a supply of electricity for consumption on that person’s own premises;
Open s 2
contestable consumer
Defined · s 2
“contestable consumer” means a consumer who is, in accordance with this Act, eligible to purchase electricity —(a)from a retail electricity licensee;(b)directly from any wholesale electricity market; or(c)indirectly from any wholesale electricity market through a market support services licensee;
Open s 2
electricity
Defined · s 2
“electricity” means electrical power when generated, transmitted, supplied or used for any purpose except the transmission of any communication or signal;
Open s 2
market rules
Defined · s 2
“market rules” means the rules made or modified under section 46;
Open s 2
market support services licensee
Defined · s 2
“market support services licensee” means a person who is authorised by an electricity licence to provide market support services;
Open s 2
non-contestable consumer
Defined · s 2
“non-contestable consumer” means a consumer who is not a contestable consumer;
Open s 2
premises
Defined · s 2
“premises” includes buildings, structures, streets, lands, waters, tenements, easements of any tenure, whether State land or not, whether open or enclosed, whether built on or not, whether public or private, and whether maintained or not under statutory authority;
Open s 2
supply
Defined · s 2
“supply” means the supply of electricity through electric lines, and includes —(a)the supply of electricity generated outside Singapore to any person or premises in Singapore; and(b)the supply of electricity generated in Singapore to any person or premises outside Singapore;
Open s 2
transmission licensee
Defined · s 2
“transmission licensee” means a person authorised by an electricity licence to transmit electricity;
Open s 2
transmission system
Defined · s 2
“transmission system” means a system of interconnected electric lines, electrical plants and substations used to transmit electricity;
Open s 2