Written question asked by Lord Whitehead (Labour) on Wednesday, 20 March 2024, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 26 March 2024 (named day). It was answered by Graham Stuart (Conservative) on Tuesday, 26 March 2024 on behalf of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

Energy: Infrastructure

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what the cost to consumers was of energy network improvements by Distribution Network Operators in each of the last five years.

Answer: Ofgem is responsible for regulating networks through a price control process that enables the investment needed to deliver a secure, resilient, net zero network in an efficient way, protecting consumers from excessive costs. Costs for network investment are recovered through electricity bills over a period of 45 years. The previous price control, covering the period between 2015 and 2023, enabled over £24bn of Distribution Network Operator expenditure. The cost impact on consumer bills remained broadly flat for this period.

Secondary information