48ICommission approval

48I Commission approval S. 48I(1) substituted by No. 3/2014 s. 20(2), amended by No. 37/2020 s. 19(1). (1) Subject to this section, the Commission must consider and may, if it considers appropriate, approve— (a) a policy submitted in accordance with section 48G(1); or (b) an amended financial hardship policy submitted in accordance with section 48GA(3)(b) or 48GB. S. 48I(2) amended by No. 3/2014 s. 20(3). (2) In deciding whether to approve a policy submitted in accordance with section 48G(1), or an amended financial hardship policy submitted in accordance with section 48GA(3)(b) or 48GB, the Commission must have regard to— (a) the essential nature of the gas supply; and (b) community expectations that licensees will work with domestic customers to manage customers' present and future gas usage and associated financial obligations; and (c) community expectations that the gas supply will not be disconnected solely because of a customer's inability to pay for the gas supply; and (d) the principle that the gas supply to premises should only be disconnected as a last resort; and (e) the principle that there should be equitable access to financial hardship policies and that those policies should be transparent and applied consistently. S. 48I(3) amended by No. 3/2014 s. 20(4). (3) The Commission must not approve a policy submitted in accordance with section 48G(1), or an amended financial hardship policy submitted in accordance with section 48GA(3)(b) or 48GB, that does not include the provisions set out in section 48GC. S. 48I(4) repealed by No. 3/2014 s. 20(5), new s. 48I(4) inserted by No. 37/2020 s. 19(2). (4) In addition, the Commission must not approve a policy submitted by a licensee in accordance with section 48G(1), or an amended financial hardship policy submitted by a licensee in accordance with section 48GA(3)(b) or 48GB, if that policy or amended policy is inconsistent with a deemed Ministerial licence condition to which the licence held by the licensee is subject. S. 48J inserted by No. 60/2006 s. 5, repealed by No. 3/2014 s. 21. S. 48K inserted by No. 60/2006 s. 5, amended by No. 3/2014 s. 22, repealed by No. 28/2021 s. 24.