Introduction
1.These Explanatory Notes relate to the Energy Act 2010 which received Royal Assent on 8th April 2010. They have been prepared by the Department of Energy and Climate Change in order to assist the reader in understanding the Act. They do not form part of the Act and have not been endorsed by Parliament.
2.These Notes need to be read in conjunction with the Act. They are not, and are not meant to be, a comprehensive description of the Act. So where a section or part of a section does not seem to require any explanation or comment, none is given.
3.The term Ofgem is used throughout this document to refer to both the Office for Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) (the regulator of the downstream gas and electricity markets) and the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority (GEMA), a group of executive and non-executive members who govern Ofgem, determining strategy, setting priorities and taking decisions on a range of issues.