OpenLegislation

The Gas (Northern Ireland) Order 1996

1996/275 · Made 14 February 1996 · Extends to Northern Ireland

Not fully up to date. 5 changes made by later legislation have not yet been written into this text, which is revised to 6 April 2025.

See the changes not yet applied
ProvisionChangeMade by
Instrumentrev. in pt. (prosp.)Competition Act 1998 ss.66(5),74(3), Sch.10, Pt.V, para.18, Sch.14, Pt.II
Instrumentam. (pt.prosp.)Competition Act 1998 s.66(5), Sch.10, Pt.III, para.8
InstrumentamendedCompetition Act 1998 s.66(5), Sch.10, Pt.V, para.18
Sch.6rev. in pt. (prosp.)Postal Services Act 2000 s.127(6), Sch 9
arts.15,16,17,23,44am. (Nl)Competition Act 1998 (Competition Commission) Transitional, Consequential and Supplemental Provisions 1999 art.44

14th February 1996

Annotations to the whole text

Modifications

C1

Order: power to amend conferred (24.5.2024 for specified purposes, 1.1.2025 in so far as not already in force) by Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (c. 13), s. 138(2)-(7), 339(2)(c); S.I. 2024/1226, regs. 1(2), 2(1)(2) (with Sch. para. 10, 20)

Contents

  1. Part I: INTRODUCTORY
  2. 1Citation and commencement
  3. 2Interpretation ‐ general
  4. Part II: GAS SUPPLY AND ASSOCIATED ACTIVITIES
  5. Interpretation
  6. 3Interpretation of Part II
  7. Licensing of supply of gas and associated activities
  8. 6Prohibition on unlicensed supply of gas and associated activities
  9. 7Exemptions from Article 6
  10. 7AClosed distribution systems
  11. 7BArticle 7B
  12. 7CArticle 7C
  13. 7DArticle 7D
  14. 8Licences authorising supply, etc.
  15. 8ALicences under Article 8(1)(a) Not yet in force
  16. 8BThe conveyance of gas: requirement to be certified as independent
  17. 8CApplication for certification
  18. 8DReport where applicant connected with a country outside the United Kingdom
  19. 8ECertification
  20. 8FGrounds for certification
  21. 8GThe ownership unbundling requirement
  22. 8HDesignation for the purposes of the Gas Regulation
  23. 8IMonitoring and review of certification
  24. 8JReport as to any connection of a certified person with a country outside the United Kingdom
  25. 8KContinuation or withdrawal of certification
  26. 8LInterpretation
  27. 9Exclusive licences under Article 8(1)(a) or (c)
  28. 9AArticle 9A
  29. 10Conditions of licences
  30. 10ALicences: further conditions
  31. 10AALicensing and energy efficiency
  32. 10BExemption from requirement for system access
  33. 11Standard conditions of licences
  34. 12Assignment of licences
  35. 13Powers of licence holders
  36. Modification of licences
  37. 14Modification of conditions of licences
  38. 14AModification of conditions under Article 14: supplementary
  39. 15Modification references to Competition and Markets Authority Repealed
  40. 15AReferences under Article 15: time limits Repealed
  41. 15BReferences under Article 15: powers of investigation Repealed
  42. 16Reports on modification references Repealed
  43. 17Modification following report Repealed
  44. 17ACMA's power to veto modifications following report Repealed
  45. 18Modification by order under other statutory provisions
  46. Appeal from decisions of the Authority
  47. 14BAppeal to the CMA
  48. 14CProcedure on appeal to CMA
  49. 14DDetermination by CMA of appeal
  50. 14ECMA's powers on allowing appeal
  51. 14FTime limits for CMA to determine an appeal
  52. 14GDetermination of appeal by CMA: supplementary
  53. Meters
  54. 21AIndividual meters
  55. 22Meter testing and stamping
  56. Consumer protection: miscellaneous
  57. 23Functions with respect to competition
  58. 24Fixing of maximum charges for reselling gas
  59. 24ASuppliers of Last Resort
  60. 24ABilling disputes: gas
  61. 24BBilling disputes
  62. Other functions of Director
  63. 27General functions
  64. 27ADispute resolution
  65. 29Keeping of register
  66. 30Power to require information, etc.
  67. 32Annual and other reports
  68. Provisions with respect to the General Consumer Council
  69. 34Reports of the General Consumer Council
  70. Major pipe-lines, gas storage facilities and gas processing facilities
  71. 35Consent of Authority for construction of major pipe-line
  72. 36Increase of capacity, etc. of pipe-line
  73. 37Consent of Authority for construction of gas storage facility
  74. 37AConsent of Department for construction of LNG facility
  75. 38Increase of capacity of gas storage facility
  76. 38ARequirements for major pipe-lines etc
  77. 38BIncrease of capacity of LNG facility
  78. 39Acquisition of rights to use gas processing facilities
  79. 39AArticle 39A
  80. 39BArticle 39B
  81. Miscellaneous
  82. 40Directions for preserving security of gas supplies, etc.
  83. 41Exclusion of certain agreements from Restrictive Trade Practices Act 1976 Repealed
  84. 42Disposal of assets of former gas undertaker to require consent of Department
  85. 43Transfer to licence holder of assets and liabilities of former gas undertaker
  86. 45Directions restricting the use of certain information
  87. 46Making of false statements, etc.
  88. Supplemental
  89. 47Concurrent proceedings
  90. 48Public inquiries
  91. Part III: SAFETY
  92. Interpretation
  93. 49Interpretation of Part III
  94. Safety of pipe-lines
  95. 55Prohibition by Department of use or testing of pipe-line
  96. Information, hearings and notices
  97. 59Notification of abandonment, cesser of use and beginning or resumption of use of pipe-lines or lengths thereof
  98. 60Fire authority, police, etc., to he notified of certain pipe-line accidents and to he furnished with information
  99. 61Notification of change of ownership of pipe-line
  100. 62Regulations as to hearings under this Part
  101. 63Provisions as to requirements and prohibitions imposed under this Part
  102. Miscellaneous
  103. 65Powers of entry
  104. Part IV: SUPPLEMENTAL
  105. 66Repayment of fees
  106. 67Compensation
  107. 68Application to Crown land
  108. 69Regulations and orders
  109. 70Directions
  110. 71Amendments, transitional provisions, savings and repeals
  111. Schedule Schedule
  112. Schedule 2: COMPULSORY ACQUISITION OF LAND
  113. Part I: COMPULSORY ACQUISITION OF LAND BY LICENCE HOLDERS
  114. 1Paragraph 1
  115. 2Paragraph 2
  116. 3Paragraph 3
  117. 4Paragraph 4
  118. 5Paragraph 5
  119. 6Paragraph 6
  120. Part II: LICENCE HOLDERS' LAND EXCLUDED FROM COMPULSORY ACQUISITION
  121. 7Paragraph 7
  122. Schedule 3: OTHER POWERS ETC., OF LICENCE HOLDERS
  123. Part
  124. Interpretation
  125. 1Paragraph 1
  126. Works involving breaking up streets
  127. 2Paragraph 2
  128. Alteration of apparatus, etc., under streets
  129. 3Paragraph 3
  130. Alteration of gas apparatus under streets
  131. 4Paragraph 4
  132. Controlled works in a street near to apparatus
  133. 5Paragraph 5
  134. Works in a street near to gas apparatus
  135. 6Paragraph 6
  136. Emergency works
  137. 7Paragraph 7
  138. Protection from interference
  139. 8Paragraph 8
  140. Modification of paragraphs 2 to 8
  141. 9Paragraph 9
  142. Acquisition of wayleaves
  143. 10Paragraph 10
  144. Assignment of necessary wayleave
  145. 10AParagraph 10A
  146. Provisions supplementary to paragraph 10
  147. 11Paragraph 11
  148. Temporary continuation of wayleaves
  149. 12Paragraph 12
  150. Felling and lopping of trees, etc.
  151. 13Paragraph 13
  152. Entry on land for purposes of exploration
  153. 14Paragraph 14
  154. Provisions supplementary to paragraphs 13 and 14
  155. 15Paragraph 15
  156. Schedule 3A: Procedure for appeals under Article 14B
  157. Part: Application for permission to bring appeal
  158. 1Paragraph 1
  159. Part: Suspension of decision
  160. 2Paragraph 2
  161. Part: Time limit for representations and observations by the Authority
  162. 3Paragraph 3
  163. Part: Consideration and determination of appeal by group
  164. 4Paragraph 4
  165. Part: Matters to be considered on appeal
  166. 5Paragraph 5
  167. Part: Production of documents etc.
  168. 6Paragraph 6
  169. Part: Oral hearings
  170. 7Paragraph 7
  171. Part: Written statements
  172. 8Paragraph 8
  173. Part: Expert advice
  174. 9Paragraph 9
  175. Part: Defaults in relation to evidence
  176. 10Paragraph 10
  177. Part: Appeal rules
  178. 11Paragraph 11
  179. Part: Costs
  180. 12Paragraph 12
  181. Part: Interpretation of Schedule
  182. 13Paragraph 13
  183. Schedule Schedule
  184. Schedule 5: POWERS OF ENTRY, ETC.
  185. Part
  186. Interpretation
  187. 1Paragraph 1
  188. Powers of entry, etc.
  189. 2Paragraph 2
  190. 3Paragraph 3
  191. 4Paragraph 4
  192. Exercise of powers of entry
  193. 5Paragraph 5
  194. Warrant to authorise entry
  195. 6Paragraph 6
  196. Premises to be left secure and damage to be made good
  197. 7Paragraph 7
  198. Penalty for obstruction
  199. 8Paragraph 8
  200. Schedule Schedule
  201. Schedule 7: TRANSITIONAL AND SAVING PROVISIONS
  202. Part
  203. Interpretation
  204. 1Paragraph 1
  205. Rundown and closure of former gas undertakers
  206. 2Paragraph 2
  207. Transitional arrangements for former gas undertakers becoming licence holders under this Order
  208. 3Paragraph 3
  209. Power to make further transitional provisions
  210. 4Paragraph 4
  211. Schedule Schedule