Annex 1b Code of Practice minimum standards on Payment of Bills
| Published date | 17 August 2022 |
| Year | 2022 |
| Energy Sector | Electricity retail |
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Annex 1b: Code of Practice minimum
standards on Payment of Bills
This Code of Practice minimum standards outlines the minimum actions
required to fulfil the obligations detailed in the Condition 30 of the Electricity
Supply Licence and Condition 2.12 of the Gas Supply Licence and other
relevant licence conditions. This Code of Practice should be no more than two
clicks from the homepage on the supplier’s website.
Definition of Debt
“For the purposes of the Code of Practice on Payment of Bills only, debt will
be defined as any amount which remains unpaid outside the payment terms in
the supplier’s terms and conditions. For example, if a customer’s payment for
a bill is due within 14 days from the date of the bill, then this amount would be
defined as debt if it remained unpaid from day 15.”
Identifying customers in difficulty
a) Distinguish, so far as is reasonably practicable, those Customers who may
have difficulty in paying bills through misfortune or inability to cope with credit
terms (“Customers in difficulties”) from other Customers in default;
(Condition 30, 3 (a) Electricity, Condition 2.12.3 (a) Gas).
In order to fulfil this requirement suppliers must:
form relationships with advice giving organisations and charitable
organisations which seek to help customers who are, or may be at risk
of, having difficulty paying bills. In particular, suppliers should form
relationships with organisations representing those groups covered by
section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act.24
24 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1998/47/section/75
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