Territorial Extent and Territorial Application Northern Ireland Powers of investigation Section 14: Reference of matters to the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority
57.Section 14 requires the Council to refer a complaint which it has the power to investigate under section 11(1)(a) (complaints which raise general issues or affect consumers generally) or section 12 (vulnerable consumers) or the duty to investigate under section 13 (complaints about disconnections) to the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority if it considers that the Authority’s enforcement powers may be exercisable in relation to the complaint. Having referred a complaint to the Authority, the Council is not obliged to investigate further until the Authority has had a reasonable opportunity to exercise its enforcement functions (subsection (3)). The Council is also obliged to inform a complainant if it considers that a complaint which has been referred to it relates to a matter which can be referred to the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority under the Gas Act 1986 (c.44) or the Electricity Act 1989 (c.29) (subsection (4)).