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Section 56A: Power to alter activities requiring licence.

Electricity Act 1989 · 1989 c. 29View on legislation.gov.uk

Part I: ELECTRICITY SUPPLY

The Secretary of State may by order provide—

that specified activities are to become licensable activities; or
that specified activities are to cease to be licensable activities.

For the purposes of this Part activities are licensable activities if undertaking them without the authority of a licence or exemption constitutes an offence under section 4(1).

An order under this section may make consequential, transitional, incidental or supplementary provision including—

amendments (or repeals) in any provision of this Act or any other enactment; and
provision modifying any standard conditions of licences or (in the case of an order under subsection (1)(a)) provision determining the conditions which are to be standard conditions for the purposes of licences authorising the undertaking of activities which are to become licensable activities.

An order under this section may only provide for activities to become licensable activities if they are activities connected with the generation, transmission, distribution or supply of electricity, or with providing a smart meter communication service.

For the purposes of subsection (4), activities connected with the supply of electricity include the following activities, whether or not carried on by a person supplying electricity—

giving advice, information or assistance in relation to contracts for the supply of electricity to persons who are or may become customers under such contracts, and
providing any other services to such persons in connection with such contracts.

An order under this section providing for activities to become licensable activities may only be made on the application of the Authority made in accordance with section 56B.

An order under this section providing for activities to cease to be licensable activities may be made either—

on the application of the Authority made in accordance with section 56E; or
following consultation by the Secretary of State in accordance with section 56F.

An order under this section may provide that it is to remain in force only for a period specified in the order.

An order shall not be made under this section unless a draft of the statutory instrument containing it has been laid before, and approved by a resolution of, each House of Parliament.

About this text

This legislation text comes from legislation.gov.uk. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. These source and reuse terms cover the legislation text, not Remedy's commentary.

Reuse reviewed 21 August 2026 under Open Government Licence v3.0.