Section 136: Refusal to supply essential service

136. Refusal to supply essential service (1) For the purposes of this section— “essential service” means— (a) the retail supply of electricity; (b) the supply of water; or (c) telecommunications services; “telecommunications services” means the conveyance from one device to another by a line, radio frequency, satellite transmission or other medium of a sign, signal, impulse, writing, image, sound, instruction, information or intelligence of any nature, whether or not for the information of a person using the device. (2) Notwithstanding any other enactment, a supplier of an essential service shall not— (a) refuse to supply the service to a liquidator, or to a company in liquidation, by reason of the company’s default in paying charges due for the service in relation to a period before the commencement of the liquidation; or (b) make it a condition of the supply of the service to a liquidator, or to a company in liquidation, that payment be made of outstanding charges due for the service in relation to a period before the commencement of the liquidation. (3) The charges incurred by a liquidator for the supply of an essential service are an expense incurred by the liquidator for the purposes of clause 1 (1) (a) of the Fourth Schedule. Section C – Voluntary winding up