L.I.

1935
ELECTRICITY SUPPLY AND DISTRIBUTION (STANDARDS OF
PERFORMANCE) REGULATIONS, 2008

ARRANGEMENT OF REGULATIONS
Regulation
Purpose and Application
1. Purpose
2. Application

Application for new service

3. Breach of application processing procedures
Reliability of Electricity Supply
4. Interruption of supply
5. Restoration of supply
6. Breach of requirement for notice of interruption
7. Reporting Standards
System Voltage
8. System voltage complaint
The meter
9. Requirement for a meter
10. Separate meter
11. Prepayment meters
12. Meter repositioning
13. Revision of meter
14. Meter Complaint
Miscellaneous provisions
15. Payments
16. Dispute resolution
17. Notification of rights of customers
18. Provision of information
19. Exceptions to compensation payment
20. Penalty
21. Transitional provisions
22. Interpretation
SCHEDULE
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LI 1935

ELECTRICITY SUPPLY AND DISTRIBUTION (STANDARDS OF

PERFORMANCE) REGULATIONS, 2008

IN exercise of the powers conferred on the Board of the Energy Commission acting in consultation
with the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission by section 27 of the Energy Commission Act,
1997, (Act 541) these Regulations are made this 4th day of June 2008.

Purpose and application

Purpose
1. The purpose of these Regulations is to provide for performance benchmarks for electricity
supply and distribution in conformity with the provisions of Electricity Supply and Distribution
(Technical and Operational) Rules, 2005 (LI 1816).

Application
2. (1) These Regulations apply to electricity supply and distribution utilities licensed by the
Commission.
(2) For the purpose of this regulation, “electricity supply and distribution utility” means a
person licensed under the Act to distribute and sell electricity without discrimination to consumers
in an area or zone designated by the Commission.

Application for new service

Breach of application processing procedures

3. (1) A supplier of electricity shall process a customer’s application for connection to
electricity services in accordance with the requirements specified in rule 2 of Electricity Supply
and Distribution (Technical and Operational) Rules, 2005 L.I.1816.
(2) A supplier shall, subject to these Regulations, pay the customer the sum prescribed in the
Schedule where
(a) that supplier fails to provide the applicant with an estimate and charges for the
connection service within
(i) five working days, if the connection is to be made from an existing supply line;
or
(ii) two weeks, if the connection requires a line extension,

(b) that supplier fails to provide the connection service to a customer after that customer
has paid the required charges for the connection service within
(i) five working days if the connection is to be made from an existing supply line;
or
(ii) one month if the connection requires a line extension.
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Reliability of electricity supply

Interruption of supply
4. (1) A supplier of electricity shall ensure that the cumulative electricity interruption for each
customer within an operational year does not exceed
(a) forty-eight hours, in a metropolitan or municipal area, or industrial estate;
(b) seventy-two hours, in a district capital; and
(c) one hundred and forty-four hours, in a rural area.
(2) Despite sub regulation (1) the supplier shall ensure that the electricity interruption to a
customer’s premises within an operational year does not exceed six periods.
(3) Despite sub regulations (1) and (2) the duration of each outage shall not exceed
(a) eight hours, in a metropolitan or municipal area or industrial estate;
(b) twelve hours, in a district capital; and
(c) twenty four hours, in rural areas.
(4) For the purposes of sub regulations (1), (2) and (3) the period of an interruption shall be
consistent and commence from the time the supplier is initially informed by
(a) a customer that the supply to the customer’s premises has been interrupted; or
(b) a person other than the customer or is otherwise made aware by the operation of
any automatic system operated by the supplier in circumstances in which the
supply to the customer’s premises has been interrupted or may reasonably be
expected to have been interrupted.
(5) Despite sub regulations (1), (2) (3) and (4), an interruption of supply to a customer shall
not be treated as wrongful where
(a) the interruption was as a result of a major fault or damage to an indispensable
equipment in the electricity supplier’s distribution system subject to sub
regulation (6);
(b) the interruption was as a result of a failure of, fault in or damage to either the
transmission system to which the electricity supplier’s distribution system was
connected or a generating station connected to that transmission system; or
(c) the interruption was as a result of a failure of, fault in or damage to a generating
station connected to the supplier’s distribution system.
(d) the interruption was one to which the Electricity Supply and Distribution
(Technical and Operational) Rules, 2005 (LI 1816) applies.
(e) the customer informed the supplier that the customer did not wish the supplier
to take any action.
(6) Where a major outage was due to the negligence of the supplier, paragraph (a) of sub
regulation (5) shall not apply.
(7) A supplier shall, subject to these Regulations, pay into the Energy Fund the sum
prescribed in the Schedule where that supplier is in breach of the supply interruption
limits specified in sub regulations (1) (2) and (3).
(8) Subject to regulation 19, the sum prescribed in the Schedule shall not be paid by
the supplier where
(a) the supplier has not received a claim for compensation from the
customer within a period of three months after the expiry of the relevant year;
(b) the interruptions were not in respect of supply to the same premises; or
(c) the customer or where more than one person is the customer, at least one such
person was not the customer of the premises to which the supply was interrupted
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on the occasion of each of the interruptions as a result of which this regulation

applies.

Restoration of supply
5. (1) Where a supplier is informed of an interruption in the customer’s supply due to a fault in
or damage to the supplier’s distribution system either by the customer or a person other
than the customer, the supplier shall, unless the fault was caused by a natural disaster,
restore supply to the customer’s premises
(a) in the case of a minor fault, within
(i) eight hours, in the case of a metropolitan or municipal area or industrial
estate,
(ii) twelve hours, in the case of a district capital, and
(iii) twenty four hours, in the case of a rural area; or
(b) in the case of a major fault that would require capital intensive equipment
replacement, within
(i) eighty hours, in the case of a metropolitan or municipal area or industrial
estate,
(ii) one hundred and twenty hours, in the case of a district capital, and
(iii) two hundred and forty hours, in the case of a rural area.
(2) A supplier shall restore electricity supply to a customer who has been disconnected for
non-payment of electricity bill or undisputed arrears within
(a) six hours, in the case of a metropolitan or municipal area or industrial estate,
(b) twelve hours, in the case of a district capital, and
(c) eighteen hours, in the case of a rural area,
after settlement of all outstanding financial obligations.
(3) Where the electricity supply to a customer’s premises is interrupted by natural disaster
supply shall be restored by the supplier within the period specified in sub regulations (1)
and (2) after the situation returns to normalcy.
(4) A supplier shall pay the customer the sum prescribed in the Schedule, subject to
regulation 19,
(a) where the supplier fails to restore supply to the customer’s premises in
accordance with the time specified in sub regulations (1) and (2); and
(b) in respect of each consecutive twelve-hour period after the expiry of the period
specified for the restoration of supply.
(5) Subject to regulation 19, the sum prescribed shall not be paid by the supplier where
(a) it was not practicable for the supplier to be aware that the supply
had not been restored; or
(b) the premises or the vicinity within which the premises is situated is supplied
through an electric feeder situated on a river or sea bed; or
(c) the premises is situated on an island and no alternative means of supply to the
island exists.

Breach of requirement for notice of interruption

6. Where a supplier
(a) fails to give notice of a planned interruption of supply through
(i) public notice,
(ii) direct contact by telephone, electronic mail, satellite phone broadcast or
any other appropriate communication system; or
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(b) gives notice but interrupts the supply at a time or on a day other than the time or
day stated in the notice;
the supplier shall, pay into the Energy Fund the sum prescribed in the Schedule but subject to
regulation 19.

Reporting Standards
7. (1) A supplier shall prepare and submit to the Commission and the Public Utilities
Regulatory Commission separate technical and financial reports quarterly and annually
which shall contain proper records of the performance of the supplier over the relevant
period.
(2) A supplier shall submit to the Commission and Public Utilities Regulatory Commission
(a) quarterly technical reports within one month after the end of each quarter, and
(b) quarterly financial reports within two months after the end of each quarter.
(3) A supplier shall, within three months after the end of each operational year in the case of
a technical report and within four months after the end of the operational year in the case
of a financial report, submit to the Commission and the Public Utilities Regulatory
Commission, a report on the levels of performance achieved in respect of the standards of
performance for that year.
(4) The supplier shall ensure that the contents of the report submitted under sub regulation
(1) include
(a) the system average interruption frequency index;
(b) the system average interruption duration index;
(c) the customer average interruption duration index, and
(d) Financial Statements.
(5) Where a supplier fails to submit the quarterly reports and annual reports in the manner
specified in this regulation, the supplier shall, pay to the Commission and Public Utilities
Regulatory Commission the sum prescribed in the Schedule.

System Voltage

System voltage complaint

8. (1) Subject to regulation 21(1), a supplier shall ensure that the voltage at the point of supply
to a customer’s premises or electrical installation is within plus or minus ten percent of
the following voltage levels:
(a) 230 Volts;
(b) 400 Volts;
(c) 11 Kilovolts;
(d) 33 Kilovolts; or
(e) 34.5 Kilovolts.
(2) A supplier shall visit a customer’s premises within twenty four hours on receiving a
supply voltage complaint to investigate and, where possible, rectify any problem where
the supplier
(a) has been notified that the electricity supply to a customer’s premises is or has
been at a voltage outside the limits of the permitted variations prescribed in sub
regulation (1), or
(b) may have reason to expect that an event which has occurred within the
distribution system or in the power system external to the distribution system
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may have been the cause of the supply voltage being outside the limits of the
permitted variations.
(3) Despite sub regulation (2), the supplier shall within seven days after receiving notice of
the supply voltage problem send to the customer an explanation of the cause of the
problem.
(4) Where the supplier fails to visit the customer’s premises, investigate and rectify a supply
voltage problem contrary to sub regulation (2) or to communicate to the customer an
explanation of the problem contrary to sub regulation (3), the supplier shall, subject to
these Regulations, pay the customer the prescribed sum in the Schedule.

The meter
Requirement for a meter
9. (1) A supplier shall provide, install and maintain a meter which will measure and record the
amount of electricity supplied to the customer within the accuracy limits of that meter
class.
(2) The supplier shall in complying with sub regulation (1) give priority to
(a) a customer whose estimated consumption of electricity per month is above 300
kilowatthours; and
(b) a customer for whom the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission has ordered the
installation of a meter in respect of the customer’s premises in the course of the
settlement of a complaint.
(3) Where the supplier breaches the requirement to provide a meter within six months, the
supplier shall pay the customer the sum prescribed in the Schedule.

Separate meter
10. (1) A supplier shall install a separate meter at the customer’s premises where
(a) the customer requesting the separate meter is a distinct household and shares a
meter with another household;
(b) the total consumption of electricity by the households which share a meter
exceeds 400 kilowatthours per month;
(c) facilities exist on the premises for the supplier to install the separate meter at the
customer’s own cost;
(d) the customer who requested the separate meter is willing to make the necessary
modifications to the wiring system to accommodate the separate meter; and
(e) by installation of the separate meter, the supplier is not required to install any
new connection line except for a line to connect the meter where the distance
between the meter connection points and the supplier’s service fuse or cut-out
does not exceed one meter.
(2) On receipt of the customer’s request, the supplier shall visit the premises, assess the
situation and provide the customer with estimates for installing the meter within five
working days.
(3) Where the customer pays the required charge for a separate meter, the supplier shall
provide and connect the separate meter to the electricity distribution system within five
working days of the payment.
(4) A supplier who fails to provide the estimates for the separate meter or does not install
the meter upon payment of the required charge within the periods specified in
sub regulations (2) and (3) shall pay to the customer the prescribed amount in the
Schedule.
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Prepayment meter
11. (1) The supplier shall ensure that a facility for the purchase of credit for a prepayment
meter is
(a) established within a ten kilometer distance of the premises where the prepayment
meter is installed, and
(b) open for a minimum of eight hours each day of the week.
(2) Where a supplier fails to
(a) provide a facility for the purchase of credit in respect of a prepayment meter
contrary to sub regulation (1)(a), or
(b) keep the facility for the purchase of credit in respect of a prepayment meter open
for the specified duration contrary to sub regulation (1)(b),
the supplier shall pay into the Energy Fund the sum prescribed in the Schedule.
(3) Despite sub regulation (2), a supplier shall pay into the Energy Fund the sum specified
in the Schedule for each succeeding six months that the supplier fails to provide the
credit paying facility centre contrary to sub regulation (1)(a).

Meter repositioning
12. (1) A customer may apply to the supplier for a change in the position of the electric meter
at the customer’s premises by stating the reasons for the change in position and
indicating the preferred location of the meter.
(2) On receipt of the customer’s request, the supplier shall provide the estimate and charge
for repositioning the meter within five working days where the request is reasonable.
(3) Where the supplier rejects the request the supplier shall provide the customer with the
reasons for the rejection.
(4) Where the customer pays the required charge, the supplier shall reposition the meter
within fourteen days.
(5) Where the supplier fails to provide the estimates and charges contrary to sub regulation
(2) or fails to reposition the meter contrary sub regulation (4), the supplier shall,
subject to these regulations pay the customer the sum prescribed in the Schedule.

Revision of meter
13. (1) A supplier shall each year undertake an audit of meters that have been in operation for
twenty years or more and replace at least 75% of the meters each year.
(2) Despite sub regulation (1), the supplier shall, within six months of commencement of
these Regulations, submit to the Commission
(a) an audit report of the meters in operation for twenty years or more; and
(b) a programme for replacement of the meters within the subsequent twelve months.
(3) A supplier who does not comply with these requirements under these Regulations shall
be considered to be in breach of a mandatory technical performance indicator
requirement for Public Utilities Regulatory Commission’s electricity tariff review.

Meter Complaint
14. (1) The supplier shall visit a customer’s premises within twenty-four hours after receipt of
a meter complaint from that customer in respect of the following matters
(a) that the electric meter on the customer’s premises is or may have been operating
outside the permitted margins of error; or
(b) that an event has occurred or circumstances exist which the supplier may
reasonably expect to have been the cause of a meter operating beyond its margins
of error;
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and for that reason the supplier shall investigate the complaint.
(2) A supplier shall after establishing a defect in the operation of a customer’s meter
replace the customer’s defective meter within forty-eight hours.
(3) The supplier shall use an estimated consumption for billing the customer for up to six
months, where the supplier has no meter in stock for replacing a defective meter in
accordance with sub regulation (2).
(4) A supplier who contravenes sub regulations (1) to (3) shall pay to the customer the
sum prescribed in the Schedule.

Miscellaneous
Payments
15. (1) Where a supplier is to pay compensation to a customer, the supplier shall, subject to
these Regulations pay the sum specified to the customer within one month after
demand.
(2) A claim for the payment of compensation prescribed in these Regulations shall be
made in writing within thirty days of the breach in respect of which the claim is made.

Dispute resolution
16. (1) A customer who is not satisfied with electricity supplied, may complain orally or in
writing to the supplier.
(2) The supplier shall deal with the customer’s complaint in accordance with its complaint
procedures.
(3) Where the supplier fails to address a customer’s complaint to the customer’s
satisfaction, the customer may lodge a complaint with Public Utilities Regulatory
Commission in accordance with the Public Utilities (Complaints Procedure)
Regulations, 1999 (LI 1665).

Notification of rights of customers

17. A supplier shall prepare and make available to its customers, a customer charter
summarizing the rights and responsibilities of customers as well as the level of service
customers are to expect.

Provision of information
18. A supplier shall, on request provide a customer with information about the services
provided to the customer’s premises including the following
(a) load profiles and power factors, where applicable;
(b) meter readings for electricity supply to the customer’s premises;
(c) the customer’s account; and
(d) the efficient uses of electricity and electric energy conservation practices.

Exceptions to compensation payment

19 Subject to these Regulations, a supplier is exempted from payment of compensation to
a customer where the breach of duty in respect of which compensation is payable
occurred as a result of or in the following circumstances
(a) severe weather conditions,
(b) the inability to gain access to the customer’s premises,
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(c) industrial action by employees of the supplier, subject to the Labour Act, 2003
(Act 651),
(d) a frivolous or vexatious complaint,
(e) the breach of an enactment was likely to occur if the supplier took the action; or
(f) failure of the customer to pay any charge required to be paid before an action is
taken.

Penalty
20. The penalty units for the breach of these Regulations are specified in the Schedule.

Transitional provisions
21. (1) A supplier shall achieve the voltage levels specified in regulation 8 (1) within the
period specified in the Electricity Supply (Technical and Operational) Rules, 2005 (LI
1816).
(2) The payment of the sums prescribed in the Schedule shall be due two years after the
commencement of these Regulations.

Interpretation
22. In these Regulations unless the context otherwise requires:

“Act” means the Energy Commission Act, 1997 (Act 541);

“capital equipment” means major electrical equipment that attaches to the electricity network
including among others power and distribution transformers, wire and cable, transmission and
distribution switch gear;

“Commission” means the Energy Commission established under the Section 1 of the Act;

“connection service” means the installation and activation of connection assets in order to
distribute electricity;

“customer” means a person that contracts to purchase electricity from a supplier, or an owner or
occupier of a premises who is supplied with electricity;

“customer average interruption duration index (CAIDI)” means a measure of the average duration
of interruptions for customers interrupted during a year;

“distribution system” means a system consisting of a network of electric feeders, transformers,

service lines meters, and other distribution switchgear;

“electric feeder” means an overhead conductor or underground cable used for bulk electricity
supply;

“industrial estate” means an area or land demarcated and set aside for factories and warehouses

“major fault” means a fault that requires capital equipment to fix or remedy such as a substation
blasts, cable blasts, damaged transformer, damaged switchgear etc;
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“minor fault” means a fault that requires minimal capital equipment such as blown substation LV
fuse, jumper cut, blown aerial fuse etc.;

“operational year” is the same as a calendar year;

“supplier” means an entity that has been licensed by the Energy Commission under the Act as an
electricity distributor and retailer;

“system average interruption duration index (SAIDI)” means a measure of the average duration of
interruptions recorded for the distribution system during a year;

“system average interruption frequency index (SAIDI)” means a measure of the average number
of interruptions recorded for the distribution system during a year;

“residential” means electricity used by a customer for domestic purposes;

“nonresidential” means electricity used by a customer for a purpose other than domestic activity
and

“rural area” means an operational district with a customer population under five thousand and a
demand below fifteen megawatts;
 Schedule
Penalty schedule
Recipients of Penalty
Description Prescribed Residential Non- Residential Industrial Customer Energy
Referenced
of Breach Standard
Regulation Commission
Customer Customer SLT-LV SLT-MV/HV
Fund
Processing of Application: Line Exists / Extension required
Untimely provision of 2 penalty 5 penalty 10 penalty 20 penalty
a. 3(2)a 5 working days / Two Weeks
estimates => units/week units/week units/week units/week
Untimely connection of 5 working days / One Month 3 penalty 8 penalty 15 penalty 25 penalty
b. 3(2)b
service=> units/week units/week units/week units/week
Urban /D.Cap/Rural
Supply Interruptions:
Frequency 6 / 6 / 6 periods 200 penalty
c.4(7) Frequency limit exceeded
Duration 8/12/24 hrs per period units
Duration limit exceeded
Total Dur 48/72/144 hrs per year
Supply Restoration after Non-
Fault Clearance Major Minor Payment
Fault Fault Disconnection 2 penalty 5 penalty 10 penalty 20 penalty
Rural 240 24 18 hrs units/week units/week units/week units/week
d. 5(4)a Supply restoration time D.Cap 180 12 12 hrs
elapsed => Urban 120 8 6 hrs

Supply restoration delay Each succeeding 12-hr delay

e. 5(4)b beyond deadline ==> 1 penalty unit 1 penalty unit 2 penalty units 2 penalty units
Planned Maintenance:
40 penalty
No notice given for supply units
f. 6a 3 working days prior notice required
interruption =>
40 penalty
g. 6b Non-adherence to notice =>
units
Violation of Reports
Submission Deadlines:
Deadline: 1 or 2 months after quarter for
40 penalty
Quarterly Report Delayed > technical & financial reports
h. 7(5) units**
respectively
Deadline: 3 or 4 months after the end of
80 penalty
Annual Report Delayed => the year for technical & financial reports
units**
respectively
System voltage complaint
i. 8(3)
response:
Visit to customer premises 2 penalty 4 penalty 10 penalty 15 penalty
Visit within 24 hours
delayed =====> units/week units/week units/week units/week
No formal written
1 penalty 3 penalty 5 penalty 5 penalty
explanation Report within 7 days
unit/week units/week units/week units/week
of problem from supplier =>
2 penalty 4 penalty 10 penalty 15 penalty
j. 9(3) Meter provision delayed Within 6 months upon request
units/week units/week units/week units/week
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Schedule - Continued

Penalty Schedule - Continued

Recipients of Penalty
Referenced Description Prescribed
Residential Non- Residential Industrial Customer Energy
Regulation of Breach Standard
Customer Customer SLT-LV SLT-MV/HV Fund
k. 10(4) Separate Meter:
Untimely provision of 5 working days on receipt of 2 penalty 4 penalty 10 penalty 15 penalty
estimates => request units/week units/week units/week units/week
Untimely installation of 2 penalty 4 penalty 10 penalty 15 penalty
5 working days after payment
additional meter ===> units/week units/week units/week units/week
Prepayment meter credit sales
facilities:
Proximity distance limit of 10 kilometer distance of pre- 40 penalty
l. 11(2)a
sales facilities exceeded => payment meter premises units
Non-adherence to opening
Minimum of 8 hrs daily for 7 20 penalty
m. 11(2)b hours of credit sales
days each week. units
facilities=>
Persistence of non-availability 40 penalty
n. 11(3) Each succeeding 6 months.
of sales facilities=> units
o. 12(5) Meter repositioning:
Untimely provision of 5 working days on receipt of 1 penalty 3 penalty 5 penalty 5 penalty
estimates => request. units/week units/week units/week units/week
Untimely repositioning of 1 penalty 5 penalty 5 penalty
Within 14 days after payment 3 penalty unit/week
meter=> units/week unit/week units/week
14(1) -Visit: Within 24 hrs.
14(2) - Replacement: 48 hrs after
Meter complaint: 3 penalty 8 penalty 15 penalty 25 penalty
p. 14(4) establishing defect.
Response time elapsed ===> units/week units/week units/week units/week
14(3) - Estimated Billing:6 months
maximum
** Any such payments to be shared equally by Energy Commission and Public Utilities Regulatory Commission.

Date of Gazette notification: 13th June, 2008

Entry into force: 17th October, 2008

PROF. F.K.A. ALLOTEY

CHAIRPERSON
ENERGY COMMISSION
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