The Communications and Utilities Regulatory Authority (CURA) does not currently have the powers to intervene with issues relating to gas bills.
Islanders have shared ongoing billing problems with Island Energy, formerly Manx Gas, on social media and with their MHKs.
Lawrie Hooper pressed CURA’s political member, Ann Corlett MHK, on what action would be taken against the gas supplier for repeated billing errors.
Mrs Corlett said: “The Authority has the power under regulations made under that act to set parameters to which a public gas supplier must take account when it’s fixing its tariffs.
“The authority also has the ability to impose conditions associated with the parameters as set out, but such conditions must be directly connected to the parameters, and within the scope of Section six of the gas Regulation Act, practical aspects of metering and billing fall outside of the parameters that the or the authority may set to date. the authority is not currently handling any complaints from customers in relation to gas billing.”
OFT
Mrs Corlett said the Office of Fair Trading has been handed consumer complaints and meets regularly with Island energy. authority enforcement and fining powers.
However she added that when legislation makes it way through parliament, this will give CURA “enforcement and fining powers”.
When Mr Hooper asked whether CURA had “no regulatory power at all to deal with these issues,” Mrs Corlett replied bluntly: “The simple answer is no, they do not have the remit or the powers to intervene in those issues until new legislation comes through.”
Tim Glover urged affected customers to contact the OFT, which he chairs, noting “a small uptick in Manx Gas-related misfortunes” but adding that complaints had not been “sizeable”.
Mrs Corlett agreed, stating: “CURA and the Office of Fair Trading work together to help customers whenever possible.”
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