The Secretary of State may modify—
The Secretary of State may make a modification under subsection (1) only for the purpose of securing that customers under contracts for domestic supply are notified about changes which licence holders make under unilateral variation terms in—
within a period specified in (or determined by reference to criteria set by) the licence as so modified.
Modifications under subsection (1) may include provision—
The power conferred by subsection (1) may not be exercised after the end of the period of 3 years beginning with the day on which that subsection comes into force.
Before making a modification under subsection (1), the Secretary of State must consult—
In this section a "unilateral variation term" means a term in a contract for domestic supply under which a licence holder is permitted to change a term of the contract or a price charged for energy supplied under it, without the agreement of the customer to the particular changes.
For the purposes of subsection (2), agreement by a customer under a contract for domestic supply to a unilateral variation term (whether by entering into the contract or otherwise) is not be taken to constitute agreement to any particular changes made by virtue of the term.
In this section—
"a contract for domestic supply" means a contract for the supply of energy by a licence holder to a customer at domestic premises wholly or mainly for domestic purposes;
"energy"—
(a)in relation to the holder of a licence under section 7A(1) of the Gas Act 1986, means gas;
(b)in relation to the holder of a licence under section 6(1)(d) of the Electricity Act 1989, means electricity.