PP No 2021/0048

Petition of Mr Barry Murphy to the Chief Minister, Treasury Minister, Minister for Policy and Reform and Mr Thomas MHK 24th February 2021 Impose Regulation on Manx Gas and give refunds to applicable customers for years 2020/2021

Barry Murphy started this petition to Chief Minister Honourable , Minister Raymond Harmer Policy and Reform Minister, Minister Alfred Cannan Treasury Minister Government and Mr Chris Thomas MHK

On the 16th July 2020 a Petition, [PP No 2020/0155], was laid in front of the Honourable Court. The petition had 2,209 signatures, aimed at a Manx audience, but primarily the IOM Gas Consumers Working Group. The petition signatories requested Tynwald to impose regulation immediately, alongside introducing a independent regulator to regulate Manx Gas, but eventually regulate all utility companies on the Isle of Man. We as consumers of gas find it imperative also that all recommendations of the NERA REPORT are implemented.

At the November sitting of Tynwald, Honourable Tynwald Members voted in favour the Heads of Terms for another voluntary gas agreement, in contrast with the plea and request from signees for the petition mentioned above. The Heads of Terms was Document [GD No 2020/0066]. The Heads of Terms document was voted in favour by Honourable Members on the premise that all parts of the Heads of Terms were agreed, finalised and were signed off by all relevant parties to the agreement by 31/12/2020. Page 4, Section 2, Subsection 2.4b is the relevant clause of the Heads of Terms document.

On the basis that there is now no longer any Tynwald Mandate for the Government to continue negations for another light touch voluntary gas agreement with Manx Gas past 31/12/2020, we the signees request that Honourable Tynwald Members insist the Cabinet Office to impose regulation on Manx Gas immediately and for Treasury to repay the refunds/rebates promised for 2020 and 2021 amounting to an average of £100 per household per each financial year.

Due to the overriding urgency for all parties to bring this matter to a fair solution, the intention is to only run this petition for approximately four weeks and have it laid in front of Tynwald at the March sitting. I hope that Tynwald Members will understand that it might not be possible to obtain thousands of signatories in this short time.

On behalf of the IOM Gas Consumers Working Group I thank all Tynwald Members for reading and considering the contents of this petition.

Yours Sincerely

Digitally Signed 24/02/2021

Barry Murphy

Admin IOM GAS CUSTOMERS WORKING GROUP