{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/gas-act-1986/section-7AB",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/gas-act-1986/section-7AB.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1986/44",
  "legislation_title": "Gas Act 1986",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/gas-act-1986",
  "path": "section/7AB",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "7AB",
  "heading": "Licensing of a person providing a smart meter communication service",
  "text": "(1) Subject to subsections (4) and (5), the Authority may grant a licence authorising a person to provide a smart meter communication service (“a smart meter communication licence”).\n(2) Subject to subsections (3) and (5), the Secretary of State may grant a smart meter communication licence.\n(3) The Secretary of State may not grant a smart meter communication licence after 1 November 2018.\n(4) The first smart meter communication licence may only be granted by the Secretary of State.\n(5) A person may not be granted a smart meter communication licence unless the same person is at the same time granted a licence under section 6(1)(f) of the Electricity Act 1989.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "S. 7AB inserted (19.9.2012) by The Electricity and Gas (Smart Meters Licensable Activity) Order 2012 (S.I. 2012/2400), arts. 1, 21"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1986/44/section/7AB",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:56:01.836902+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}