54Powers of entry

54 Powers of entry

54 Powers of entry

(1) An authorised officer of a network operator may enter any premises for the purpose of exercising any function conferred or imposed on a network operator by or under this or any other Act or law, including—

(a) carrying out preliminary investigations in connection with the proposed installation or extension of electricity works, or

(b) installing, extending, maintaining, repairing or removing electricity works, or

(c) reading electricity meters, or

(d) checking if the network operator’s conditions relating to tariffs and the use of electricity are being complied with, or

(e) ascertaining whether an offence against this Act or the regulations has been committed, or

(f) inspecting or disconnecting an electrical installation that the network operator is required or permitted to inspect or disconnect by or under this or any other Act or law, or

(g) monitoring any excavation work in accordance with regulations under section 63Z, or

(h) exercising any function conferred on the network operator by section 48, 49 or 49A or Division 2A.

(1A) An authorised officer of a retailer may enter the premises of a customer for the following purposes—

(a) reading, testing, maintaining, inspecting or altering any meter installed at the premises,

(b) calculating or measuring energy supplied or taken at the premises,

(c) checking the accuracy of metered consumption at the premises,

(d) replacing meters,

(e) any other purpose prescribed by the regulations relating to metering.

(2) A power of entry to premises under this section may be exercised only during daylight hours except—

(a) in an emergency, or

(b) in the case of an authorised officer of a retailer—if there is a problem with a meter on the premises that poses a risk to safety.

s 54: Am 1997 No 20, Sch 1.3 [10]; 2000 No 109, Sch 1 [22] [23]; 2004 No 4, Sch 2 [2]; 2009 No 31, Sch 1 [2]; 2012 No 38, Sch 1 [35] [36]; 2014 No 70, Sch 1 [2]; 2016 No 8, Sch 1 [6] [7].