UK Offence Report

3 It is an offence to obstruct an authorised person acting in the pursuance of their powers or duties under…

regulation 11(3) of The Heat Network (Metering and Billing) Regulations 2014

This offence was read from the text as made, and no revised version was available, so a later revocation could not be ruled out. Check the current text at legislation.gov.uk.

What the provision says

3 It is an offence to obstruct an authorised person acting in the pursuance of their powers or duties under these Regulations.

Text as made, from legislation.gov.uk. © Crown copyright, reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0. This is the text as originally made; later amendments are not shown here.

Who it binds, and what has to be proved

Binds
a authorised person
Conduct
obstructing an official exercising a power
Fault element
Strict liability
Burden of proof
No statutory defence — prosecution proves everything

The prosecution must prove that the conduct happened. This is a strict liability offence as drafted: the provision uses no word of intention, knowledge, recklessness or negligence, so there is no need to show that a authorised person meant to do it, knew about it, or was careless.

Intention, knowledge and carelessness are irrelevant to guilt. They may still matter a great deal to sentence.

The provision states no defence, so the prosecution bears the burden on every element of the offence.

Classifier’s reasoning: no word of intention, knowledge, recklessness or negligence in the offence or its provision.

What would breach regulation 11(3)?

These are illustrations, not law. They are generated from the provision’s own words to show the shape of the offence. Whether any particular conduct is caught depends on the full text, on any amendment since, and on the facts.

  1. On these words it is an offence to obstruct an authorised person acting in the pursuance of their powers or duties under these Regulations.
  2. Refusing to let an inspector onto premises they are entitled to enter under the Heat Network (Metering and Billing) Regulations 2014.
  3. Sending an official away, or telling staff to say nothing, where the power being exercised does not depend on anyone's consent.
  4. Physically blocking an examination, or removing something an officer has said they intend to inspect.

Penalty

Mode of trial
Not determined
Maximum fine
Not determined
Maximum prison (summary)
Not determined

no penalty is stated in this instrument; it may be in the enabling Act, or in a general penalties provision this pass did not connect to the offence.

No penalty was determined from this instrument. It may be in the enabling Act, or in a general penalties provision this pass did not connect to the offence. Absence of a figure here is not evidence that the offence carries no penalty.

Sentencing

Offences of this kind are usually sentenced under the guidelines below. This is a mapping by subject, not a finding about this provision, and the links go to a search of the Sentencing Council’s own site.

Prosecution figures

No published per-offence figure was found for this provision, and it could not be matched to a Ministry of Justice offence code. Offences created by statutory instrument very largely do not have one. Absence of a figure is not evidence that the offence is unused.

Status and lifecycle

Current status
Status not determined
Made
20 November 2014
In force from
Not determined
Extent
Not stated

How this was established: read from the text as made; no revised version available, so later revocation could not be ruled out.

What the instrument is for

(This note is not part of the Regulations) — the explanatory note published with the instrument, © Crown copyright.

These Regulations implement Articles 9(1) and (3), 10 and 11 of Directive 2012/27/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council on energy efficiency (OJ No. L315, 14.11.2012, p.1), amending Directives 2009/125/EC and 2010/30/EU and repealing Directives 2004/8/EC and 2006/32/EC. Regulation 3 imposes a duty on heat suppliers, in relation to the operation of communal heating or a district heat network, to notify the Secretary of State or in relation to a Scottish network the Scottish Ministers about the operation of such heating or networks. Regulation 4 imposes a duty on heat suppliers to ensure meters are installed in specified circumstances. Schedule 1 sets out how cost effectiveness and technically feasibility are to be determined. Regulation 5 sets out requirements in relation to meters installed in accordance with these Regulations. Regulation 6 imposes a duty on heat suppliers to ensure individual heat cost allocators, thermostatic radiator valves and a hot water meter are installed in specified circumstances. Regulation 7 imposes a duty on heat suppliers to install meters when an existing meter is replaced, a new connection is made in a new building or a building undergoes a major renovation. Regulation 8 imposes on-going requirements in relation to meters and heat cost allocators installed in accordance with these Regulations. Regulation 9 stipulates that where meters or heat cost allocators to which these Regulations apply are installed, bills and billing information for heat, cooling or hot water provided to final customers must comply with the requirements set out in the regulation and Schedule 2. Regulation 10 provides that the Regulations will be enforced by the Secretary of State or in relation to a Scottish network the Scottish Ministers or such person as may be authorised in writing to act on their behalf. Schedule 3 provides for powers of entry, search and seizure and the procedure for obtaining a warrant. Schedule 4 provides for civil sanctions which the authorised person may impose in relation to an offence committed under regulation 11. Regulation 11 provides for offences for failing to comply with specified duties under the Regulations. Regulation 12 makes provision for offences committed by bodies corporate and relevant individuals in Scotland. Regulation 13 sets out penalties following criminal conviction for an offence under regulation 11. Regulation 14 specifies time limits for prosecution of criminal offences. Regulation 15 requires the Secretary of State to review the operation and effect of these Regulations and publish a report within five years of them coming into force. A full impact assessment of the effect that this instrument will have on the costs of business, the voluntary sector and the public sector is available at the Department of Energy and Climate Change, 3 Whitehall Place, London SW1A 2AW and is published with the Explanatory Memorandum alongside the instrument on www.gov.uk/government/consultations/implementing-the-energy-efficiency-directive-metering-and-billing-of-heating-and-cooling.

Read the full note and every offence in this instrument

What Parliament said

Mentions of this instrument in Hansard. Parliamentary material is reused under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0.

Other offences in the same instrument

How this was identified as an offence

Everything above rests on the judgement that this provision creates a criminal offence, rather than mentioning one. That judgement is made by rule, from the words of the provision, and this is the rule that made it — with a confidence of 0.90.

Basis
the provision says “it is an offence”; the provision says an offence is committed “if” something happens
Confidence
0.90 of 1.00

A provision that states a penalty for an offence created elsewhere can read very like one that creates an offence, and the rules can mistake the one for the other. If the text quoted above sets a penalty for something made an offence by another provision, treat the classification on this page with that in mind, and read the instrument.

Check the source