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Regulation
1.
Regulation 4 of L.I. 1651
amended
2.
Regulation 5 of L.I. 1651
amended
3.
Regulation SA inserted
4.
Regulation 7 of L.I. 1651
amended
5.
Regulation 9 of L.I. 1651
amended
PUBLIC
UTILITIES (TERMINATION OF
SERVICE) (AMENDMENT)
REGULATIONS, 2010
IN exercise of the power
conferred on the Public
Utilities Regulatory Commission
by section 48 (1) of the Public
Utilities Regulatory Commission
Act, 1997 (Act 538) these
Regulations are made this 25th
day of January, 2010.
Regulation 4 of L.I. 1651
amended
1. The Public Utilities
(Termination of Service)
Regulations, 1999(L.I.1651)
referred to as the "principal
Regulations" are amended in
regulation 4 by the substitution
for paragraph (a) of
"(a)
on the eve of a public holiday
or on a public holiday;"
Regulation 5 of L.I. 1651
amended
2.
Regulation 5 of the "principal
Regulations" is amended by the
substitution for sub regulation
(2) of
"(2) Where there is failure to
pay a bill for service provided
to a consumer and the public
utility is aware that the
consumer
(a)
is sixty-five years or above, or
(b)
is blind or disabled,
the public utility shall contact
the consumer and endeavor to
agree on a payment agreement
with the consumer, except that
where an agreement cannot be
arrived at or made, the public
utility shall continue to
provide the service for a
further period of thirty days
after the date of any scheduled
disconnection".
Regulation SA inserted
3. The "principal Regulations"
are amended by the insertion
after regulation 5 of .
"Prohibition of termination from
electric pole
SA
(1) A public utility shall not
terminate the service it
provides to a consumer from the
electric pole from which the
service is supplied to the
consumer's premises, unless the
consumer
(a)
illegally connects the service
or allows the service to be used
in a manner that will interfere
with the electricity supply of
others;
(b)
tampers or interferes; with a
meter or public utility
equipment or permits a person to
damage any of the public
utility's installations or
equipment;
(c)
uses a service which was legally
connected in an unauthorised
manner; or
(d)
refuses to allow a public
utility employee or agent to
read a meter or check utility
equipment after repeated
attempts by the employee or
agent to read the meter or check
the utility equipment.
(2) Despite sub regulation (1),
where a consumer is liable for
disconnection but prevents the
officials of the public utility
from disconnecting the service,
the public utility may
disconnect the service from the
electric pole after serving
written notice of the
disconnection on the consumer" .
Regulation 7 of L.I. 1651
amended
4.
Regulation 7 of the "principal
Regulations" is amended by the
substitution for the regulation
of
"Reconnection of service
terminated for non-payment
7.(1)
If a public utility terminates a
consumer's service for
nonpayment, the public utility
shall reconnect the service
within twenty-four hours after
the payment of
(a)
the full amount owed;
(b)
reconnection charges; and
(c)
other lawful charges related to
the service.
(2) If a public utility
terminates a consumer's
electricity service for
non-payment, the public utili~y
shall reconnect the electricity
service in accordance with Rule
39 of the Electricity Supply and
Distribution (Technical and
Operational) Rules, 2005 (L.L
1816), after the payment of each
lawful charge related to the
electricity service."
Regulation 9 of L.I. 1651
amended
5.
Regulation 9 of the "principal
Regulations" is amended by the
substitution for the regulation
of
"Offences
9.(1)
Subject to sub regulation (3),.a
person who contravenes these
Regulations commits an offence
and is liable on summary
conviction to a fine of not
more’ than fifty penalty units
or imprisonment for a term of
not more than one year or to
both.
(2) In the case of a continuing
offence, an additional penalty
may be imposed on the person of
not more than one penalty unit
in respect of each day on which
the offence continues after
conviction.
(3) Where the offence is
committed by a public utility
that is a body corporate or by a
partnership or other firm, each
director or officer of that body
corporate or any member of the
partnership or firm concerned
with the management of the
public utility, is also
considered to have committed an
offence and is liable on summary
conviction to a fine of not more
than one hundred penalty units
for the offence and in addition
is liable to the payment of
compensation for any damage
resulting from the breach.
(4) A person shall not be
convicted of an offence by
virtue of sub regulation (3) if
it is proved that
(a)
due diligence was exercised to
secure compliance with the
provisions of the Act; and
(b)
the offence was committed
without the knowledge, consent
or connivance, of that person."
DR. EMMANUEL K. ANNAN
Chairman, Public Utilities
Regulatory Commission
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