Asked by: Lorraine Beavers (Labour - Blackpool North and Fleetwood)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will take steps to bring forward legislative proposals to amend the Electricity Act 1989 to ensure that the use of sub-meters in domestic properties is subject to the same consumer protections as electricity provided by licensed suppliers in domestic properties.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Under the Electricity Act 1989 all electricity meters used for billing must be of an approved design and be accurate. Those who charge anyone through submeters, such as landlords, in domestic properties ultimately have the same legal obligations as licensed energy suppliers.
In the event of a dispute over the accuracy of a meter, the law gives consumers the right to have their electricity meter independently checked and tested.