Regulation 3 Interpretation: general

In these Regulations—

• “the 2022 Regulations” means the Warm Home Discount (England and Wales) Regulations 2022^f1;

• “aggregate non-core spending obligation” is to be read in accordance with regulation 18;

• “central heating system” means a system—

  1. (a)

     which provides heat for the purposes of space heating through a boiler or other heat source connected to one or more separate heat emitters, and

  2. (b)

     where the heat source and heat emitters are all situated in the same domestic premises or building;

• “the commencement day” means the day on which these Regulations come into force;

• “compulsory scheme electricity supplier”, other than in regulation 20(5)(a), has the meaning given in regulation 6(2);

• “core group customer” has the meaning given in regulation 11(2);

• “debt write-off” means the provision of assistance to reduce debts for electricity or gas supply to domestic premises by cancelling or reducing the debts;

• “E&W domestic customer” has the meaning given in regulation 2(2);

• “electricity supply licence” means a licence granted under section 6(1)(d) of the Electricity Act 1989^f2;

• “eligibility statement” has the meaning given in regulation 10(2);

• “energy advice” means advice on reducing or preventing the wastage of energy in domestic premises;

• “gas supply licence” means a licence granted under section 7A(1) of the Gas Act 1986^f3;

• “GB domestic customer” has the meaning given in regulation 2(3);

• “group of companies” means a holding company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, where “holding company” and “wholly-owned subsidiary” have the meanings given by section 1159 of the Companies Act 2006^f4;

• “industry initiative” has the meaning given in regulation 24(1);

• “late rebate notice” has the meaning given in regulation 12(2);

• “non-core spending obligation” is to be read, other than in regulation 21(2)(b), in accordance with regulation 20;

• “partner” has the meaning given in regulation 2(5);

• “prescribed rebate” means a rebate of £150;

• “the Scheme” has the meaning given in regulation 4;

• “scheme electricity supplier” means—

  1. (a)

     a compulsory scheme electricity supplier, or

  2. (b)

     a voluntary scheme electricity supplier;

• “scheme gas supplier” has the meaning given in regulation 6(7);

• “scheme year”, other than in the expression “scheme year 15” and subject to regulation 12(8)(a), means—

  1. (a)

     the period beginning with the commencement day and ending with 31st March 2027 (“scheme year 16”), or

  2. (b)

     a period of 12 months beginning with 1st April in any of the years from 2027 to 2030 (and “scheme year” followed by a number from 17 to 20 means the scheme year beginning in 2027, 2028, 2029 or 2030 respectively);

• “scheme year 15” has the meaning given in regulation 3(1) of the 2022 Regulations;

• “smart meter advice” means advice on the benefits of using a smart meter in domestic premises;

• “standard rebate notice” has the meaning given in regulation 9(1)(a);

• “voluntary scheme electricity supplier” has the meaning given in regulation 6(5);

• “working day” means a day other than—

  1. (a)

     a Saturday or a Sunday,

  2. (b)

     Christmas Day or Good Friday, or

  3. (c)

     a day which is a bank holiday under section 1 of the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971^f5 in England and Wales.

For the purposes of these Regulations, a licensed supplier^f6 is connected to another licensed supplier if they both belong to the same group of companies.