A new petition has been launched urging the government to compensate Manx Gas customers.

Tynwald voted to support a new deal involving voluntary regulation late last year but both sides have yet to sign it off.

Gas customers had hoped to have been receiving a refund of around £93.

Long-time campaigner Barry Murphy of the island’s Gas Customers working group, wants the Cabinet Office to immediately impose statutory regulation on Manx Gas and compensate gas customers.

His petition is entitled: ’Impose regulation on Manx Gas and give refunds to applicable customers for years 2020/2021.’

It asks for Treasury to repay the refunds/rebates promised.

Mr Murphy said: ’The deadline for negotiations for another soft touch deal was dated December 31, 2020.

’This date has been missed.

’I believe Tynwald should not accept another missed deadline.

’It could mean however that Manx Gas no longer feels it needs to pay the promised refunds/rebates for 2020/2021. That, from the customers’ perspective, should not be accepted.’

Mr Murphy has been campaigning since 2016, when he set-up a Facebook group and arranged a protest, initially to investigate why Manx Gas introduced banding standing charges without any consultation or warning.

Mr Murphy added: ’Government negotiations with Manx Gas have failed.

’People should sign to push the government to stop them negotiating with Manx Gas and grant the Communications and Utilities Regulatory Authority full powers to modernise the regulation of all utilities to give the public more input and a voice moving forward.’

In a written reply to a House of Keys question this week from Chris Thomas (Douglas Central), Policy and Reform Minister Ray Harmer said the Gas Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2020 will ’form the first step in evolution of a regulatory environment for public gas suppliers’.