33R   Small retail customers

(cf section 92 of Electricity Supply Act 1995)

(1)  For the purposes of this Act, a small retail customer is:

(a)  a person who consumes or is expected to consume natural gas at premises at a rate that is less than the prescribed rate, determined in accordance with any relevant provisions of the regulations, or

(b)  a person who consumes or is expected to consume natural gas at premises used for a purpose prescribed by the regulations, or

(c)  a person who is treated in accordance with any relevant provisions of the regulations as a small retail customer, even though the person is not a person described in paragraph (a) or (b).

(2)  The regulations may make provision for or with respect to determining whether or not a person consumes or is expected to consume natural gas at a rate that is less than the prescribed rate for the purposes of subsection (1) (a).

(3)  The regulations may make provision for or with respect to:

(a)  treating a person who consumes or may consume natural gas at a rate that is the prescribed rate per year or more, or

(b)  treating a person who consumes or may consume natural gas at premises used for a purpose referred to in subsection (1) (b),

      as a small retail customer.

(4)  Subject to the regulations, this section applies separately in relation to each premises at which a person consumes or is expected to consume natural gas.

(5)  Without limiting any other provision of this section, a regulation made for the purposes of this section may apply to a person only in respect of the consumption of natural gas at certain premises (in which case the regulation does not apply to that person in respect of the person’s consumption of natural gas at other premises).

(6)  In this Act, a reference to a small retail customer extends only to the supply of natural gas to premises in relation to which the person is such a customer and does not extend to the supply of natural gas to any other premises for which the person is not a small retail customer.

(7)  In this section:

prescribed rate means the rate, expressed as a number of gigajoules per year or in any other manner, specified in the regulations.