Citation, commencement and transitional provisions

1. —(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Gas (Connection Charges) Regulations 2001 and shall come into force on 1st October 2001.

(2) Regulation 3 shall apply in respect of any main laid before the coming into force of these Regulations as if—

(a) for sub-paragraph (c) of that regulation there were substituted the following sub-paragraph—

“ (c) the amount required does not exceed any amount paid in respect of those expenses by such a person or by any person previously required to make a payment under these Regulations or the Gas (Connection Charges) Regulations 1986 ( 2 ) ; ” and

(b) for sub-paragraph (e)(iii) of that regulation there were substituted the following sub-paragraph—

“ (iii) the amounts paid in respect of those expenses by the persons for whom the main was laid, or by persons previously required to make a payment under these Regulations or the Gas (Connection Charges) Regulations 1986 ” .

Revocation

2.The Gas (Connection Charges) Regulations 1986 are revoked.

Entitlement to recover amount in respect of expenses

3. A gas transporter may require a person requiring a connection to a relevant main under section 10(2) of the Gas Act 1986 to pay to the transporter an amount in respect of the expenses of the laying of the main used for the purpose of making that connection to a relevant main if—

(a) the connection to a relevant main is required within five years after the laying of the main;

(b) a person for whom the main was laid has made a payment to the gas transporter in respect of those expenses;

(c) the amount required does not exceed any amount paid in respect of those expenses by such a person or by any person previously required to make a payment under these Regulations;

(d) the gas transporter has not recovered those expenses in full; and

(e) the gas transporter has made available to the person requiring the connection to a relevant main such information as may have been reasonably requested by that person for the purpose of ascertaining—

(i) the expenses of the laying of the main;

(ii) the date of the laying of the main; and

(iii) the amounts paid in respect of those expenses by the persons for whom the main was laid, or by persons previously required to make a payment under these Regulations.