Commentary on Sections Section 96: Section 95: consequential amendments
533.This section makes amendments to Schedule 7 to the Electricity Act 1989 (c.29) which are consequential on the transfer of functions from the Authority to the Secretary of State.
534.Meter examiners are appointed by the Authority (in future, by the Secretary of State) under Schedule 7. Examiners carry out much of the technical work done under that Schedule and electricity meter regulations. At present, most meter examiners are not civil servants.
535.By inserting a new paragraph 4(2A) into Schedule 7, subsection (4)(b) makes provision for the Secretary of State to contribute towards the remuneration and pensions of non-civil service meter examiners and the maintenance of the equipment they use to perform their statutory functions. The new paragraph is to provide clarity about payments to non-civil servant meter examiners (and, in some cases, their employers) in respect of the carrying out of statutory functions.
536.Paragraph 12 of Schedule 7 allows the Authority to make regulations which permit sums owed to be recovered from customers using a pre-payment meter. This power will remain with the Authority. As such, policy decisions on how and when pre-payment meters should be used will continue to rest with the Authority, although the NWML will be responsible for the accuracy of pre-payment meters.