27Limitation on obligation to connect and distribute

27 Limitation on obligation to connect and distribute (1) Despite anything in this Act, an electricity entity does not have an obligation to connect or supply electricity to a customer's electrical installation or premises, and is not in breach of a connection agreement to do so, if: (a) the connection or supply is, or needs to be, interrupted: (i) in an emergency; or (ii) for work that needs to be performed without delay to prevent an emergency happening; or (iii) by circumstances beyond the electricity entity's control; or (iv) for work – if it is reasonable to do the work when it is required to be done and reasonable notice is given to the customer and supply is restored as soon as practicable; or (b) the connection or distribution would breach technical requirements under this Act or the Electrical Safety Act 2022; or (c) the connection or distribution would unreasonably interfere with the connection or distribution of electricity by the electricity entity to other customers, except where the customer pays an amount to the entity for works necessary to prevent the connection or distribution from unreasonably interfering with the connection or distribution of electricity by the entity to other customers and the entity has given the customer an opportunity to pay the amount; or (d) a network provider is entitled, under its connection agreements with network users or under the Regulations, to disconnect supply to the customer; or (e) after disconnecting supply to something that was unsafe – the thing is still unsafe; or Electricity Reform Act 2000 18 (f) the connection or distribution is likely to create an electrical risk under the Electrical Safety Act 2022; or (g) this Act otherwise authorises refusal to connect or distribute (or reconnect or redistribute); or (h) the Regulations provide that the obligation to connect or distribute (or reconnect or redistribute) does not apply. (2) An electricity entity operating an electricity network is entitled to disconnect and refuse to connect or reconnect supply of electricity to electrical installations or premises of a customer: (a) if the customer fails to pay an amount owing to the electricity entity retailing electricity to the customer or breaches the customer's agreement with that electricity entity and the electricity entity requests the electricity entity operating the electricity network to disconnect or refuse to connect or reconnect the customer; or (b) if an electricity entity retailing electricity to the customer fails to pay an amount owing to the electricity entity operating the electricity network or breaches its connection agreement with the electricity entity operating the electricity network.