moved Amendment No. 47:
47: Clause 41 , page 24, line 8, at end insert—
| ““A person holding a licence under section 7(2) of the Gas Act 1986 (c. 44) (transportation licences). |
A person (other than a gas licensee) who is a consumer in relation to services provided by a gas transporter (within the meaning of Part 1 of that Act). |
The Gas and Electricity Markets Authority”” |
The noble Lord said: My Lords, I shall speak also to the other amendments in the group. The provision in the Bill for redress schemes for gas and electricity extends to consumers in their relationship with suppliers of gas and electricity. We wish to extend that provision to cover instances where the consumer needs to have a direct relationship with a gas transporter or an electricity distribution company, the network companies responsible for the system of pipes or cables that deliver the energy supplies to the end user.
For most purposes, the relationship is between the consumer and the supplier. That is intentional in order to avoid complexity. There are instances, however, where the consumer needs to have direct dealings with the distributor. In many instances, this will be when a new mains gas or electricity connection is requested. A new connection may prove to be expensive in some cases and there is provision in existing legislation for quotations to be referred to the regulator, the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority, for determination of the amount to be paid by the consumer.
The Gas and Electricity Markets Authority has indicated, however, that there are instances where its powers of determination may not prove to be adequate to deal with consumer complaints against distributors. At the same time, the authority considers that there will in future be potentially greater scope for consumers to need to have direct contact with distributors, particularly on issues concerning distributed generation. For these reasons we seek to extend the scope of the redress schemes to cover that potential need for redress for consumers.
Amendments Nos. 47, 48 and 53 extend the scope of the requirement to belong to redress schemesto transporters and distributors, and Amendments Nos. 82 and 84 extend the classes of membership of redress schemes that are required to be approved by the regulator. These amendments would mean that the new classes of regulated providers will also be subject to the regulator’s power to lay down standards for handling complaints by relevant consumers in Clause 42, the provision for the council to publish information about complaint-handling standards in Clause 44 and to give information to relevant consumers in Clause 45 as well as making the new regulated providers subject to the power to require membership of a redress scheme in Clause 46. The amendments also have the effect of ensuring that potentially a distribution company or a transporter in its capacity as a customer of a supply company should be within the scope of those able to use the redress scheme as would any other customer.
I hope that your Lordships will agree that this is a very worthwhile addition to the Bill’s consumer protection and redress provisions. I beg to move.
On Question, amendment agreed to.