Which of the following actions is a legal requirement for a new gas supplier taking over an account?

Informing customers of the change is an essential legal requirement for a new gas supplier taking over an account. This action helps ensure transparency and maintains trust between the supplier and the customer. When a customer is informed about their account being transferred to a new supplier, they can understand who to contact for service, billing, and support. It is a critical step in facilitating a smooth transition and ensuring that customers are aware of whom they are dealing with, thereby preventing potential confusion or disruption of service.

In the context of the other options, while providing a new container, collecting past due balances, and ensuring safety inspections are current may be important in different scenarios, they are not universally required legal actions when a supplier takes over an account. For instance, a new supplier might not need to provide a new container immediately or may have different arrangements regarding past due balances, depending on the policies between the old and new suppliers. Safety inspections can vary by local regulations and may already be up to date, thus not necessarily falling under the purview of the new supplier’s immediate responsibilities during the account transfer.