15Cost of investigations and determinations

15 Cost of investigations and determinations

(1)  In this regulation, each of the following is a relevant activity of the Regulator in respect of a regulated offer retailer:

(a) the conduct and reporting of a pricing investigation in relation to the regulated offer retailer, and the giving, or publication, under these regulations of any notice required under these regulations to be given in relation to such an investigation or report;

(b) the making, amending, adjustment or revocation under section 40AA of the Act of a price-regulated retail service price determination, that relates to the regulated offer retailer and the publishing under these regulations of a copy of the determination, amendment or revocation.

(2)  The Regulator may send a notice of expenses to a regulated offer retailer in relation to a relevant activity of the Regulator.

(3)  A notice of expenses to a regulated offer retailer is a notice specifying –

(a) the amount of the expenses determined by the Regulator to be payable by the regulated offer retailer in respect of all or part of the expenses, reasonably incurred by the Regulator, arising from a relevant activity of the Regulator in respect of the regulated offer retailer; and

(b) the date on or before which the expenses are to be paid by the regulated offer retailer.

(4)  A date specified in a notice to a regulated offer retailer in accordance with subregulation (3)(b) is not to be earlier than 30 days after the notice is sent to the regulated offer retailer.

(5)  A regulated offer retailer to which a notice of expenses is sent is liable to pay, to the Regulator, on or before the date specified in the notice as the date by which the amount is to be paid, the amount of the expenses specified in the notice.

(6)  The Regulator may recover in a court of competent jurisdiction, as a debt due and owing, an amount that a regulated offer retailer is liable to pay under subregulation (5) .