Commentary on provisions of Act Passing on the benefits of reductions and other support Section 19: Requirement to pass through energy price support to end users
This section will provide the Secretary of State with a power, by regulations, to impose pass through requirements on persons who receive energy price support (defined in the section as financial assistance provided by way of (a) a payment made to a person in connection with their energy costs, (b) a reduction in the amount to be paid by a person for energy, or by another mechanism to or in respect of a person under this Act or any scheme established under it, where the assistance is provided in response to the energy crisis).
	Pass through requirements on intermediaries (PRI) will oblige the subjects of the regulations ("Intermediaries", who have received energy price support) to pass through the benefit obtained to classes of end users (who are the intended beneficiaries of the relevant schemes) in accordance with the terms of regulations. The section enables regulations to provide that an end user may recover from an Intermediary an amount specified or determined in accordance with the regulations if they have not received it by a specified time.
	In addition to requirements about how the scheme benefit should be passed through, regulations may oblige the Intermediary to provide information to end users to enable them to understand and enforce the PRI and may require Intermediaries to provide information to the Secretary of State for the purposes of monitoring, audit and keeping the PRI under review.
	This section will require all heat networks to pass through to consumers cost reductions which it has received through the Energy Bill Relief Scheme (or for heat networks in Northern Ireland, the Northern Ireland equivalent of the EBRS).
	It also provides for regulations to appoint an Alternative Dispute Resolution body which will handle complaints. The Energy Ombudsman is expected to be appointed to investigate complaints raised by consumers against their heat network if they consider their heat network has not complied with requirements under this section.