Serious accidents to be reported and investigated
Open ↗94.—(1) When any accident causing or resulting in loss of life or hurt to any person or serious damage to property has occurred in connection with any electrical or supply installation, or any other installation, the owner of the premises concerned and the person granted a licence under Part 9 for the installation must —(a)
report the accident to the Authority by the quickest means available; and
(b)
subsequently with the least possible delay, report in writing to the Authority the facts of the matter so far as the facts are known.
(2) Any authorised officer must as soon as practicable after receipt of the first report —(a)
visit the place where the accident occurred;
(b)
make a preliminary investigation of the circumstances;
(c)
record in writing his or her findings upon such investigation;
(d)
forward his or her report to the Authority; and
(e)
if there has been any loss of life or there is reason to believe that any person has been seriously injured, send a copy of his or her findings to the Public Prosecutor.
(3) In the event of loss of life or grievous hurt to any person due to any accident arising from the use or operation of or caused by any electrical or supply installation or other installation, no alteration or addition may, without the approval of the Authority, be made to any part of the installation which may have contributed towards the cause of the accident or to the site of the accident until investigations have been completed.
(4) Nothing in subsection (3) operates to interfere with rescue work or other work necessary for the general safety of life or property.
(5) If upon a preliminary investigation under subsection (2)(b) —(a)
it appears to the Authority that there is reason to believe that the accident was due to any failure to comply with the provisions of this Act or due to neglect to obey any lawful order given by the Authority; or
(b)
the authorised officer investigating the accident is satisfied that the accident might have been prevented if proper precautions had been taken and observed in the operation or working of the electrical or supply installation or other installation,
the Authority must hold an inquiry into the nature and cause of the accident with the assistance, if considered necessary by the Authority, of one or more persons of electrical or other special skill or experience to be nominated by the Authority as assessors.
(6) At the conclusion of the inquiry held under subsection (5), a copy of the findings taken at the inquiry together with the opinion of the Authority must be forwarded to the Public Prosecutor.
(7) Any person who, without lawful excuse, contravenes subsection (1) or (3) shall be guilty of an offence.
Effect of winding up
Open ↗94A.—(1) This section applies where a winding up order has been made or a provisional liquidator has been appointed under the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018 in respect of an electricity licensee or an entity wholly-owned by the Authority (each called in this section E) that is a market participant.
(2) Where E has provided the Market Company, a transmission licensee or a market support services licensee any payment security or other security deposit in respect of services provided to E by the Market Company or licensee (as the case may be), the Market Company or licensee may, despite section 133 of the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018, draw down on the payment security or other security deposit for any services provided by it to E and that are not paid.
(3) Subsection (2) does not affect the applicability or otherwise of any other provision of the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018 (including section 219 of that Act), or any other written law or rule of law relating to insolvency.[Act 37 of 2021 wef 29/01/2022]
Power to administer oaths, etc.
Open ↗95. For the purpose of holding any inquiry under this Act, any authorised officer has power to administer oaths and affirmations and is vested with the powers of a Magistrate for compelling the attendance of witnesses, maintaining order and otherwise conducting the inquiry, and any person summoned to attend any such inquiry is legally bound so to attend.
Powers of arrest
Open ↗96.—(1) Any police officer or any person authorised in writing by the Chief Executive of the Authority generally or in any particular case may arrest any person committing within his or her view or who he or she has reason to believe has committed any offence punishable under this Act if —(a)
the name and address of the person are unknown to him or her;
(b)
the person declines to give the person’s name and address; or
(c)
there is reason to doubt the accuracy of the name and address given.
(2) A person arrested under this section may be detained until the person’s name and address are correctly ascertained.
(3) A person arrested under this section must not be detained longer than is necessary for bringing him or her before a court unless the order of a court for his or her continued detention is obtained.
General exemption
Open ↗97. The Authority may, with the approval of the Minister, either permanently or for such period as it thinks fit, exempt any person or persons or any class of persons or premises from all or any provision of this Act other than Parts 3 and 6.
Appeal to Minister
Open ↗98.—(1) A person aggrieved by —(a)
any decision of the Authority in the exercise of any discretion vested in it by or under this Act, except for section 20A(2A), 26(1) or 31(2), (12) or (15);[Act 27 of 2024 wef 01/07/2025]
(b)
anything contained in any code of practice or standard of performance issued or approved by the Authority under section 16;
(c)
any direction issued by the Authority under this Act; or
(d)
any notice issued by the Authority under section 5(2)(b),
may, except where provision has been made under this Act for an appeal to be made to an Appeal Panel, appeal to the Minister.
[18/2006; 42/2018]
(2) Unless —(a)
otherwise provided in this Act or allowed by the Minister; or
(b)
the appeal is against the imposition or the amount of a financial penalty,
an appeal under subsection (1) does not suspend the effect of the decision, direction, code of practice or standard of performance to which the appeal relates.
[18/2006; 42/2018]
(3) Where the Minister considers that an appeal made to the Minister involves issues of such nature or complexity that it ought to be considered and determined by persons with particular technical or other specialised knowledge, the Minister may, subject to section 65(1), establish by direction an Appeal Panel comprising one or more of such persons to consider and determine the appeal.[18/2006; 42/2018]
(4) Any person who makes an appeal to the Minister must provide such information and documents as the Minister requires (whether for the purpose of deciding if an Appeal Panel should be established or for determining the appeal) and in such manner and within such period as may be specified by the Minister.[42/2018]
(5) The Minister may determine an appeal under this section —(a)
by confirming, varying or reversing any decision or direction of the Authority;
(b)
(if applicable) by amending any code of practice or standard of performance issued or approved by the Authority to which the appeal relates; or
(c)
by directing the Authority to reconsider its decision or direction,
and the Minister’s decision is final.
[42/2018]
(6) Subsection (5) applies whether the appeal is lodged with or made to the Minister before, on or after 3 May 2019.[42/2018]
(7) The Minister may make regulations prescribing —(a)
the time and manner in which an appeal must be made under this section; and
(b)
the procedure to be adopted in determining any appeal under this section.[42/2018]
Service of documents
Open ↗99.—(1) Any notice, order or document required or authorised by this Act to be given or served on any person, and any summons issued by a court in connection with any offence under this Act may be served on the person —(a)
by delivering it to the person or to some adult member or employee of his or her family at his or her last known place of residence;
(b)
by leaving it at the person’s usual or last known place of residence or business in an envelope addressed to the person;
(c)
by affixing it to some conspicuous part of the person’s last known place of residence;
(d)
by sending it by registered post addressed to the person at the person’s usual or last known place of residence or business; or
(e)
where the person to be served is a body corporate —(i)
by delivering it to the secretary or other like officer of the body corporate at its registered or principal office; or
(ii)
by sending it by registered post addressed to the body corporate at its registered or principal office.
(2) Any notice, order, document or summons sent by registered post to any person in accordance with subsection (1) is deemed to be duly served on the person at the time when the notice, order, document or summons would, in the ordinary course of post, be delivered and in proving service of the notice, order, document or summons, it is sufficient to prove that the envelope containing the same was properly addressed, stamped and posted by registered post.
Recovery of fees and penalties
Open ↗100. Any fee or financial penalty to be paid to the Authority under this Act may be recovered by it in any court of competent jurisdiction as if it were a simple contract debt.
Payment into Consolidated Fund
Open ↗100A. All composition sums collected by the Authority under section 93 and all financial penalties collected by the Authority under this Act, must be paid into the Consolidated Fund.[42/2018]
Keeping of register
Open ↗101.—(1) The Authority must, at such location and in such form as it may determine, maintain a register for the purposes of this Act.
(2) Subject to any direction under subsection (3), the Authority must cause to be entered in the register —(a)
the provisions of every licence or exemption granted to any person under Part 3 and the details of every licence or exemption revoked;
(b)
the details of any modification to the conditions of an electricity licence; and
(c)
any other matters as the Authority thinks fit.
(3) If it appears to the Minister that the entry of any provision or detail in the register would be against the public interest, he or she may direct the Authority not to make the entry in the register.
(4) The register must be available for inspection by the public during such hours and subject to the payment of such fee as may be specified by the Authority.
Effect of direction
Open ↗102.—(1) The obligation to comply with any direction made by the Authority is a duty owed to any person who may be affected by a contravention of it.
(2) Where a duty is owed by virtue of subsection (1) to any person, any breach of the duty which causes that person to sustain loss or damage is actionable at the suit or instance of that person.
(3) In any proceedings brought against any person under subsection (2), it is a defence for the person to prove that the person took all reasonable steps and exercised all due diligence to avoid contravening the relevant direction.
(4) Without prejudice to any right which any person may have under subsection (2) to bring civil proceedings in respect of any contravention of any relevant direction, compliance with any such direction is enforceable by civil proceedings by the Authority for an injunction or for any other appropriate relief.
Regulations
Open ↗103.—(1) The Authority may, with the approval of the Minister, make regulations for or in respect of every purpose which is considered by the Authority necessary or convenient to be prescribed for carrying out the provisions of this Act.
(2) Without limiting subsection (1), the Authority may, with the approval of the Minister, make regulations for or in respect of all or any of the following matters:(a)
the prescribing of purposes for which the supply of electricity may be used;
(b)
the prevention and suppression of pollution, contamination, waste, misuse or use of electricity;
(c)
the prevention of misuse of, or damage to, apparatus and works belonging to a licensee in connection with the generation, transmission or supply of electricity;
(d)
the regulation and use of electricity meters and the prohibition of interference with, or damage to such meters or seals affixed thereto;
(e)
the prohibition of interference with, or damage to, electric appliances supplied by a licensee and plates or marks thereon;
(f)
the regulation of the installation of electrical installations and alterations thereto and the submission of plans and specifications in respect thereof;
(g)
the prescribing of materials of which conduits, pipes, cables and other apparatus and fittings for use in connection with the supply of electricity must be made, and of the size, shape, fitting, arrangement, connection, workmanship, examination, testing, position and method of cleaning them;
(h)
the prescribing of the types of electric appliances to be used and the prohibition of the use of certain types thereof;
(i)
the regulation of the installation of electric appliances and the removal or transfer thereof;
(j)
the prescribing of the methods of charging consumers for electricity in the event of any meter becoming out of order;
(k)
the prescribing of terms and conditions applicable to a contract between the market support services licensee and consumer;
(ka)
the prescribing of terms and conditions applicable to a contract for gas between a prescribed generation entity (as defined in section 41G) and the holder of a gas importer’s licence (central import) under the Gas Act 2001, including any term or condition providing for a minimum amount of gas that must be obtained by the prescribed generation entity (including different minimum amounts for different periods of time);[Act 27 of 2024 wef 01/09/2025]
(l)
in relation to cable detection work licences —(i)
the class or classes of the licences, the form and duration of such licences, the terms and conditions upon and the circumstances in which such licences may be granted, held, suspended, cancelled, altered, extended, renewed or replaced and the fees payable in respect thereof;
(ii)
the qualifications and other requirements to be satisfied by applicants for such licences, the examination or testing of such applicants, the fees payable in respect of such examination or testing and the circumstances in and conditions on which such applicants may be exempted from such examination or testing; and
(iii)
the duties and responsibilities of licensed cable detection workers;
(m)
in relation to electrical or supply installations —(i)
the intervals, times and manner at or in which any electrical or supply installation must be inspected, the notice (if any) to be given in relation to inspections and the preparations to be made by the licensees of such installations and the management for such inspections;
(ii)
the control of standards for electrical machinery, electric lines, wiring, fittings, accessories, appliances, consuming devices, control and protective gears associated with the generation, transmission, distribution and application of energy and the manner in which such machines, lines, wiring, fittings and apparatus must be erected, fixed, protected, inspected, tested and maintained;
(iii)
the approval and control of electrical apparatuses, appliances, equipment and materials with the object of securing their safety in service and the prohibition of the use, sale or hire of all electrical apparatuses, appliances, equipment and materials which are in the opinion of the Authority unsafe;
(iv)
the fees to be paid for electrical or supply installation licences and any other fees which are required to be prescribed;
(v)
the forms and contents of, and the conditions to be prescribed in electrical or supply installation licences and the conditions for suspension, extension and revocation of such licences and the manner in which applications for such licences must be made;
(vi)
the manner of holding inquiries under section 94(5); and
(vii)
the means to be adopted, whether by prohibition or otherwise, to prevent or abate any nuisance or pollution likely to arise or arising from the working of any electrical or supply installation or apparatus;
(n)
in relation to electrical worker licences —(i)
the class or classes of the licences, the form and duration of such licences, the terms and conditions upon and the circumstances in which such licences may be granted, held, suspended, cancelled, altered, extended, renewed or replaced and the fees payable in respect thereof;
(ii)
the qualifications and other requirements to be satisfied by applicants for such licences, the examination or testing of such applicants, the fees payable in respect of such examination or testing and the circumstances in and conditions on which such applicants may be exempted from such examination or testing; and
(iii)
the register to be kept of all electrical worker licences issued under this Act, the particulars to be entered in the register and the publication of the names of licensees;
(o)
the protection of the public from dangers arising from the generation, transmission or supply of electricity, from the use of electricity supplied from the installation, maintenance or use of any electric line or electrical plant; and the elimination or reduction of risks of personal injury, or damage to property or interference with its use arising therefrom;
(p)
the prohibition of the supply or transmission of electricity except by means of a system approved by the Authority;
(q)
the prescribing of the form of notice to be given to the Authority of accidents and of failures of the supply or transmission of electricity;
(r)
the prescribing of fees and charges and their method of payment for the purposes of this Act;
(ra)
anything required to be prescribed or in relation to which regulations may be made under this Act;[Act 27 of 2024 wef 01/07/2025]
(s)
the prescribing of any service provided in connection with the performance of any function or duty of the Authority, for which the Authority may charge a price by way of agreement with the person to whom the service is provided (instead of prescribing the price).[42/2018]
(3) The Authority may in making any regulations provide that any person who contravenes the regulations shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both and, in the case of a continuing offence, to a further fine not exceeding $250 for every day or part of a day during which the offence continues after conviction.
(4) All such regulations must be presented to Parliament as soon as possible after publication in the Gazette.
Incorporation by reference
Open ↗103A.—(1) The regulations made under this Act may apply, adopt or incorporate by reference —(a)
wholly or partially;
(b)
with or without any addition, omission or substitution; or
(c)
specifically or by reference,
any code of practice, standard, requirement, specification or other document that relates to any subject matter of any regulations made under this Act (called in this section the material), as in force or published at a particular time or as in force or published from time to time.
(2) The material mentioned in subsection (1) may be material issued by the Authority, or material issued by any standards setting organisation, or other organisation or person.
(3) Any material applied, adopted or incorporated by reference in the regulations under subsection (1) is to be treated for all purposes as forming part of the regulations.
(4) Unless otherwise provided in the regulations, where the material is applied, adopted or incorporated by reference as in force or published from time to time, every amendment to the material that is made by the organisation or person that issued the material is to be treated as being a part of those regulations.
(5) Where any material is applied, adopted or incorporated by reference in any provision of any regulations, the Authority must give notice in the Gazette stating —(a)
that the material is applied, adopted or incorporated in the regulations, and the date from which the material is so applied, adopted or incorporated;
(b)
that the material is available for inspection, free of charge, and the place at which such material may be inspected;
(c)
that copies of the material can be purchased, and the place where the material can be purchased; and
(d)
if copies of the material are available in other ways, the details of where or how the material can be accessed or obtained.
(6) In addition, the Authority must cause a copy of every material applied, adopted or incorporated by reference in the regulations under subsection (1), to be made available for inspection by members of the public without charge at any of its offices during normal office hours.
(7) To avoid doubt, any part of the material that is not applied, adopted or incorporated by reference in the regulations under subsection (1) has no legislative effect.[Act 37 of 2021 wef 01/09/2025]
Advisory guidelines
Open ↗103B.—(1) The Authority may issue advisory guidelines for the purposes of providing practical guidance or certainty in respect of any one or more requirements imposed by or under this Act.
(2) The Authority may consult with such person as the Authority thinks fit for the purpose of preparing any advisory guidelines under subsection (1).
(3) The advisory guidelines may —(a)
be of general or specific application; or
(b)
specify that different provisions of the advisory guidelines apply to different circumstances, or are applicable to different persons or classes of persons.
(4) The Authority may amend or revoke the whole or part of any advisory guidelines issued under subsection (1).
(5) Advisory guidelines issued or amended under this section do not have any legislative effect.
(6) Where, in any administrative proceedings commenced in connection with this Act, any provision in this Act to which any advisory guidelines issued under subsection (1) relate is alleged to have been contravened, then —(a)
compliance with such guidelines; or
(b)
a contravention of or failure to comply with, whether by act or omission, such guidelines,
may be relied upon by any party to those proceedings as tending to negative or establish the contravention which is in question in those proceedings.
[Act 37 of 2021 wef 01/09/2025]
Repeal
Open ↗104.—(1) All acts done by the Public Utilities Board under the repealed Electrical Workers and Contractors Licensing Act (Cap. 89, 1985 Revised Edition) before 1 December 2002 continue to remain valid and applicable as though done by the Authority under this Act, until such time as invalidated, revoked, cancelled or otherwise determined by the Authority.
(2) Any subsidiary legislation made under the repealed Electrical Workers and Contractors Licensing Act (Cap. 89, 1985 Revised Edition) and in force immediately before 1 December 2002, so far as it is not inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, continues in force as if made under this Act until it is revoked or repealed by subsidiary legislation made under this Act.
Reference in any written law
Open ↗105.—(1) In any written law, a reference to “public electricity licensee” is to be construed as a reference to an “electricity licensee” under this Act.
(2) The repealed Electrical Workers and Contractors Licensing Act (Cap. 89, 1985 Revised Edition) and any subsidiary legislation made thereunder is to be administered by the Energy Market Authority of Singapore, and any references to the Board in that Act and its subsidiary legislation are to be read as references to that Authority.
Source: Singapore Statutes Online (Attorney-General's Chambers), © Government of Singapore.
