14 Interruption: Firm Allowance

(ii) except as provided in paragraph (i), the date in respect of which is not less than 12 months after the most recent date on which the Supply Meter Point changed status, (for the purposes of which the date of a change in status of a Supply Meter Point pursuant to paragraph 14.5 shall not be counted);

(d) in relation to an Eligible Status Change Date the "Change Request Deadline" is the Day two months before such Eligible Status Change Date; and

(e) where a User submits a Supply Meter Point Confirmation which becomes effective in respect of a Supply Meter Point, the Operator will if requested by the User provide to the User as soon as reasonably practicable after the Supply Meter Point Registration Date such information as may be necessary to enable the User to ascertain the Eligible Status Change Date.

13.8 Where a User submits a Supply Meter Point Confirmation in respect of a Proposed Supply Meter Point that is an Existing Supply Meter Point which (at the Proposed Supply Meter Point Registration Date) is Interruptible, the Proposed Supply Meter Point will (if the Supply Meter Point Confirmation becomes effective) be an Interruptible Supply Meter Point, except that if the Supply Meter Point Confirmation was submitted before the Change Request Deadline and the Proposed Supply Meter Point Registration Date is not later than an Eligible Status Change Date, the Proposer User may propose that the Supply Meter Point is re-designated as Firm with effect from the Eligible Status Change Date;

13.9 Where a User has submitted a Supply Meter Point Confirmation which will (in accordance with paragraph 9.7) become effective, no Existing Registered User may submit a notice proposing that the relevant Existing Supply Meter Point is designated as Interruptible or redesignated as Firm.

13.10 A notice proposing designation of a Supply Meter Point as Interruptible or re-designating a Supply Meter Point as Firm with effect from an Eligible Status Change Date may be revoked by the Registered User before but not after the Change Request Deadline; and accordingly a User who submits a Supply Meter Point Confirmation after the Change Request Deadline may not propose the re-designation (as Interruptible or Firm) of the Supply Meter Point until the next following Eligible Status Change Date.

13.11 Without prejudice to the generality thereof, the indemnity provided for in Section O12.1 shall apply in respect of the taking of any steps or the exercise by the Operator of any entitlement provided for in this paragraph 13.

14 Interruption: Firm Allowance

14.1 The Registered User of an Interruptible Supply Meter Point (the "relevant Supply Meter Point") may apply (subject to paragraph 14.2) in accordance with paragraphs 14.3 and 14.4 for a firm allowance up to (or subject to paragraph 14.3, above) 30% of the peak daily off take at the relevant Supply Meter Point ("Firm Allowance").

14.2 Where a Firm Allowance is in force under paragraph 14.3;

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(a) the Firm Allowance shall be treated as an exception to paragraph 18.2(b) such that the requirement that no gas shall be offtaken be read as no gas, other than the Firm Allowance shall be offtaken, and at a hourly rate not exceeding 12.5% of the Firm Allowance unless otherwise agreed with the Operator in advance;

(b) the Registered User shall pay to the Operator the Administration Charges (if any) set out in the Conveyance Charge Statement;

(c) the Registered User shall pay to the Operator a charge (the "IFA Charge") calculated as the applicable charge as set out in the Conveyance Charge Statement;

(d) for the purposes of determining the IFA Charges payable by the Registered User in respect of the provision of a Firm Allowance at the relevant Supply Meter Point, the Firm Allowance shall be regarded as Supply Meter Point Capacity of a Firm Supply Meter Point;

(e) all amounts payable under this paragraph 14 shall be payable at any time after the Registered User’s election and shall be invoiced and payable in accordance with Section K; the charges shall be fixed regardless of the date on which the application was made and are not refundable; and

(f) where the Operator requires Interruption at the relevant Supply Meter Point the provisions of paragraph 18 shall apply.

14.3 Applications under paragraph 14.1 in respect of a relevant Supply Meter Point in which there is no Current Firm Allowance in force, or in respect of which an increase is required to a Current Firm Allowance, the increase:

(a) shall be for a period commencing 1st October or (if later in the Gas Year) the date of receipt by the Operator of the confirmation in accordance with paragraph (c) and ending on 30th September;

(b) shall be accepted, or rejected by the Operator within 15 Business Days;

(c) if accepted by the Operator, are open for confirmation by the Registered User for 5 Business Days from the date of the acceptance;

(d) for a Firm Allowance of 58,614 kWh (2,000 therms/Day) or less shall be considered in the order in which they were received by the Operator;

(e) for a Firm Allowance in excess of 58,614 kWh (2,000therms/Day), received by the Operator prior to 1st October in respect of the next Gas Year shall, unless otherwise indicated on the application, be treated initially as an application for a Firm Allowance of 58,614 kWh/Day (2,000 therms/Day) the balance being processed on or after 1st October, in the order in which they were received by the Operator;

(f) for a Firm Allowance in excess of 58,614 kWh (2,000 therms/Day), received by the

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