Electricity Act 1994

It is also a condition of a distribution authority that the distribution entity—

allow, as far as technically and economically practicable, a qualifying customer for premises to connect 1 qualifying generator at the premises to its supply network; and

credit against the charges payable by a qualifying customer, for customer connection services provided to the qualifying customer in a relevant supply period, the amount for each kilowatt hour prescribed under a regulation (a prescribed credit amount) for electricity that is, at any instant in the relevant supply period—

being produced by the qualifying generator when connected to the distribution entity’s supply network; and

being supplied to the network; and

in excess of the amount of electricity being used by the qualifying customer, not including electricity supplied through a circuit controlled by the distribution entity; andExample of a circuit controlled by the distribution entity—a remotely switched circuit used for off-peak supply of hot water

give the regulator a report, for each prescribed credit amount, within 28 days after 30 June and 31 December each year, stating the following—

the number of qualifying customers who have connected a qualifying generator to the network under paragraph (a) in the previous 6 months;

the number of qualifying customers who, at the end of the previous 6 months, had a qualifying generator connected to the network;

the number of qualifying customers who stopped being credited with a prescribed credit amount under paragraph (b) in the previous 6 months;

the number of qualifying customers who, at the end of the previous 6 months, had stopped being credited with a prescribed credit amount under paragraph (b);

for each retailer—the total amount of credit given by the distribution entity to the retailer in relation to qualifying customers receiving credit under paragraph (b) in the previous 6 months;

the amount of electricity supplied to the network in the previous 6 months for which credit was given under paragraph (b);

the total generation capacity of all qualifying generators connected to the network.

However, the condition mentioned in subsection (1)(b) stops applying in relation to a qualifying customer if—

the maximum output of the component of the customer’s qualifying generator that generates electricity exceeds, in aggregate, the approved total rated inverter capacity of the generator; or

the customer installs an electricity storage device, as part of the electrical installation supplied by the customer’s qualifying generator, in a way that enables the device to supply electricity to—

the electrical installation at the same time as the qualifying generator, other than during a supply interruption; or

the distribution entity’s supply network; or

the customer installs 1 or more generators (each an additional generator) as part of the electrical installation supplied by the customer’s qualifying generator in a way that enables the additional generator to supply electricity to—

the electrical installation at the same time as the qualifying generator, other than during a supply interruption; or

the distribution entity’s supply network.

If, because of the operation of subsection (1A), a qualifying customer stops being entitled to be credited with a prescribed credit amount under subsection (1)(b), that subsection no longer applies to the distribution entity in relation to that customer.

A regulation may prescribe—

the circumstances in which a category of qualifying customer is entitled, or stops being entitled, to be credited with a prescribed credit amount under subsection (1)(b) for the category of qualifying customer; and

the day, not later than 1 July 2028, at the end of which subsection (1)(b) stops applying, in any event, for a particular category of qualifying customer.

If a category of qualifying customer becomes entitled to be credited with a prescribed credit amount under subsection (2)(a), the distribution authority is subject to the condition mentioned in subsection (1)(b).

If a category of qualifying customer stops being entitled to be credited with a prescribed credit amount under subsection (2)(a), the condition, under subsection (1)(b), of the distribution authority about crediting a prescribed credit amount also stops to the extent the prescribed credit amount is for the category.

This section expires on 1 July 2028.

In this section—approved total rated inverter capacity, of a customer’s qualifying generator, means the total rated inverter capacity of the generator approved by the distribution entity for the purposes of complying with the condition mentioned in subsection (1)(b).electricity storage device means a device capable of storing energy and releasing the energy as electricity.supply interruption means an interruption in the supply, by a distribution entity through the entity’s supply network, of electricity to a qualifying customer’s electrical installation.