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Public Utilities Act

(Chapter 261, Section 130)

Public Utilities (Electricity Supply) Regulations

Rg 3

G.N. No. S 68/1997

REVISED EDITION 1998

(15th June 1998)

[15th June 1998]

Citation

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Public Utilities (Electricity Supply) Regulations.

Definitions

2. In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires —

“applicant” means a person who makes a request to an electricity supplier for a supply of electricity or the continuance of such a supply;

“appointed electrical worker” means a high voltage testing engineer or a small installation tester, as appropriate, appointed by the Board under regulation 20 of the Electrical Workers and Contractors Licensing Regulations (Cap. 89, Rg 1);

“Earth” means the conductive mass of the Earth whose electric potential at any point is conventionally taken as zero;

“electrical contractor” has the same meaning as in the Electrical Workers and Contractors Licensing Act (Cap. 89);

“electricity supplier” means a private electricity supplier or a public electricity supplier, as the case may be;

“high voltage” means a voltage exceeding low voltage;

“licensed electrical contractor” means a person who is licensed as an electrical contractor under the Electrical Workers and Contractors Licensing Act;

“low voltage” means a voltage not exceeding 1,000 V a.c. between conductors or 600 V a.c. between each conductor and Earth;

“private electricity supplier” has the same meaning as in section 49(4) of the Act;

“public transmission licensee” means a person who is authorised by a public licence granted under the Act to transmit electricity.

Voltages for supply

3.—(1) The supply of electricity by an electricity supplier shall be by means of alternating current, at a nominal frequency of 50 hertz.

(2) The voltage of such supply shall be —

(a)	66,000 volts, 3 phase 3 wires;
(b)	22,000 volts, 3 phase 3 wires;
(c)	6,600 volts, 3 phase 3 wires;
(d)	400 volts, 3 phase 4 wires; or
(e)	230 volts, single phase.

(3) The voltages referred to in paragraph (2) shall be subject to a variation of plus or minus 6%.

(4) Notwithstanding paragraph (2), an electricity supplier may, with the approval of the Board, supply electricity at voltages other than those specified in paragraph (2).

Request for supply

4.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), an applicant shall make his request to an electricity supplier for a supply of electricity or a continuance of such a supply through a licensed electrical contractor.

(2) The Board may, in its discretion, permit any applicant or class of applicants to make the request referred to in paragraph (1) directly to an electricity supplier.

(3) Every request referred to in paragraphs (1) and (2) shall be made in such form as may be provided by the electricity supplier, and shall be accompanied by such plans and specifications of the electrical installation for the conveyance, control and use of the supply of electricity, if any, as may be required by the electricity supplier.

(4) Where the premises for which a supply or continuance of a supply of electricity is requested is already served by an electrical installation at the time of request and such electrical installation is owned by a person other than the applicant, the electricity supplier to whom the request is made shall not procure the supply or continuance of supply of electricity so requested unless it is satisfied that the consent of the owner of such electrical installation has been given for the electrical installation to be used for the purpose of the supply or continuance of supply of electricity so requested.

Connection of electrical installation to supply line

5.—(1) Where an applicant requires a supply of electricity to be made to an electrical installation which is not connected to any supply line, he shall at his own expense arrange for the electrical installation to be tested by —

(a)	the electricity supplier to whom the request for a supply of electricity is made; or
(b)	an appointed electrical worker.

(2) Where the test is conducted by an appointed electrical worker, the applicant shall submit the test results to the electricity supplier referred to in paragraph (1) (a) for approval.

(3) The test referred to in paragraph (1) shall be conducted in accordance with such code of practice as may be approved by the Board from time to time, and the submission of the test results shall be in such form as may be approved by the Board.

(4) No electricity shall be supplied to any electrical installation unless —

(a)	the test referred to in paragraph (1) is carried out;
(b)	the results of the test are approved by the electricity supplier referred to in paragraph (1) (a); and
(c)	where the electrical installation is not exempted from the provisions of Part VIII of the Act, a statement of turn-on of electricity is issued by the electricity supplier in respect of the electrical installation.

(5) The statement of turn-on of electricity referred to in paragraph (4)(c) shall be in such form as may be approved by the Board and shall be signed by the following persons:

(a)	the electrical worker responsible for the design and installation of the electrical installation;
(b)	the electrical worker who is employed or appointed to operate, be in charge of or to control the electrical installation;
(c)	an authorised officer of the electricity supplier; and
(d)	the applicant.

Meters

6.—(1) The electricity supplier shall specify the point at which every supply line shall terminate in any premises which is or is to be supplied with electricity.

(2) At every point in the premises at which any supply line terminates, the applicant shall provide and maintain such meter boards and accessories as the electricity supplier may require.

(3) The electricity supplier shall provide, install and maintain at every meter board referred to in paragraph (2) an appropriate electrical meter, which shall comply with such standards as may be determined by the Board.

(4) If a consumer disputes the reading of any electrical meter regarding the electricity supplied to him, and such dispute cannot be resolved between the consumer and the electricity supplier, the matter shall be referred to the Board whose decision shall be final and conclusive.

Modification to electrical installation, etc.

7.—(1) Where a consumer carries out or causes to be carried out any modification of any electrical installation which is connected to a supply line, he shall at his own expense arrange for the electrical installation so modified to be tested by —

(a)	the electricity supplier responsible for procuring the supply of electricity through the electrical installation; or
(b)	an appointed electrical worker.

(2) Where the test is conducted by an appointed electrical worker, the consumer referred to in paragraph (1) shall submit the test results to the electricity supplier referred to in paragraph (1) (a) for his approval.

(3) The consumer referred to in paragraph (1) shall not use, work or operate the electrical installation referred to in that paragraph nor permit any person to use, work or operate such installation until —

(a)	the test referred to in paragraph (1) is carried out; and
(b)	the results of the test are approved by the electricity supplier referred to in paragraph (1) (a).

(4) A consumer who installs or causes to be installed any high voltage transformer, high voltage cable, low or high voltage circuit breaker or any other high voltage equipment in an electrical installation which is already connected to a supply line shall —

(a)	at his own expense arrange for the transformer, cable, circuit breaker or equipment to be tested by an appointed electrical worker; and
(b)	submit the test results to the electricity supplier responsible for procuring the supply of electricity to the electrical installation.

(5) Until the electricity supplier has approved the test results, the consumer shall not use, work or operate, or permit any person to use, work or operate, such transformer, cable, circuit breaker or equipment.

(6) The tests referred to in paragraphs (1) and (4) shall be conducted in accordance with such codes of practice as may be issued or approved by the Board from time to time, and the submission of the test results to the electricity supplier shall be in such form as may be approved by the Board.

Testing of electrical installation

8. The Board may require a consumer to engage an appointed electrical worker to test any electrical installation used, worked or operated by him and submit the test results to the Board at such intervals as the Board may determine, and the consumer shall comply with such requirement at his own expense.

Adjustments to electrical installation when interfering with supply to other consumers, etc.

9.—(1) Where an electricity supplier or a public transmission licensee determines that an electrical installation causes or is likely to cause undue interference with the supply of electricity to any other consumer or electrical installation, the electricity supplier or public transmission licensee may require the consumer who uses, works or operates the first-mentioned electrical installation to engage such electrical worker as may be authorised by the Board to make such adjustments or alterations to the electrical installation as the electricity supplier or public transmission licensee considers necessary.

(2) The consumer shall comply with the requirement under paragraph (1) at his own expense.

Power to disconnect

10.—(1) In addition to any penalty which may be imposed under these Regulations or otherwise, where —

(a)	regulation 7, 8 or 9 is not complied with; or
(b)	the test results referred to in regulation 7 or 8 are not approved by the electricity supplier,

the electricity supplier may in accordance with section 81 of the Act disconnect the electrical installation which is the subject of the non-compliance or disapproval from the supply line.

(2) The electricity supplier shall in accordance with section 81 of the Act disconnect or refuse to connect an electrical installation to any supply line if, in the opinion of the electricity supplier, such installation or any part thereof is unsafe for use or operation.

Failure of supply to consumers

11.—(1) If at any time a supply of electricity to a consumer’s premises should fail, the public transmission licensee responsible for transmitting such supply of electricity to such premises shall attend to the failure at the request of the consumer.

(2) No charge shall be made for any rectification of the failure of the supply if the failure is due to a fault in any part of the system of electricity transmission of the public transmission licensee.

(3) If the failure of such supply is due to some other cause, the public transmission licensee may —

(a)	refuse to rectify the failure and in such a case, the consumer shall engage a licensed electrical contractor to rectify the failure; and
(b)	charge the consumer a reasonable fee to recover his cost for attending to such supply failure and the consumer shall render payment of the fee to the public transmission licensee upon demand.

Penalties

12. Any person who contravenes or fails to comply with regulation 7, 8 or 9 shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000 and, in the case of a continuing offence, to a further fine not exceeding $150 for every day or part of a day during which the offence continues after conviction.

[G.N. No. S 68/97]