Ofgem's next network price control began in April 2023 and will run for five years, according to an industry guide to electric vehicle infrastructure published by BEAMA and the Green Finance Institute1. The control sets the allowed revenues and charges for the electricity networks that connect homes and businesses to the grid.
The guide states that the control "is to run for five years from April 2023"1. It does not set out the specific allowances, price paths or charging methodologies within that control, and no figures for household bills under it are given in the document1.
The same guide records earlier Ofgem funding decisions in the network and charging area. It states that "£300m approved by Ofgem in May 2021, half of which will be used to develop EV infrastructure, including rapid chargepoints"1. It also notes that "In March 2022 the Government published its updated Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy, which pledged up to £1.6bn of public funding for charging infrastructure"1.
On the charging market more broadly, the guide reports that "As of 30 March 2024, there were 59,590 public charging points in the UK"1, and that "82% of EV drivers have access to charging at home, 93% of EV drivers use public charging networks"1. It adds that "around a third of the UK not having access to off-street parking"1. The guide also states that "Transportation is responsible for 26% of UK greenhouse gas emissions, more than any other sector"1.
| Item | Figure given |
|---|---|
| Network price control term | Five years from April 20231 |
| Ofgem funding approved May 2021 | £300m, half for EV infrastructure including rapid chargepoints1 |
| Public charging points, 30 March 2024 | 59,5901 |
| EV drivers with home charging access | 82%1 |
Why it matters for households
The price control governs the charges that network companies levy for using the electricity distribution and transmission systems, and those charges are recovered through household bills. Because the control runs for five years, the framework set at its start shapes the network costs that appear on bills across that period. For a household considering electricity network regulation and charges, the control is the mechanism that determines how much of a bill pays for the wires rather than the energy itself. The guide does not quantify the effect on household bills, and no such figure has been reported in it1.
The charging figures matter for homes that run an electric vehicle. Most EV drivers charge at home, but around a third of UK households lack off-street parking, so public chargepoints carry more weight for them1. The guide does not state how network charges under the control affect the cost of public charging, and that link has not been reported1.
What happens next
The guide records several dated steps in the wider policy landscape, though none are tied to the price control itself. The zero emission vehicle mandate became law in January 20241. The Public Charge Point Regulations came into force in 2023, and by the end of 2025 chargepoint operators must enable drivers to pay through at least one roaming provider at their public charge points1. Applications under one government fund closed in March 2024, with projects extended to complete by 1 March 20251. The guide does not state what happens at the end of the five-year control period1.
Sources1 cited
- BEAMA-GFI-Guide-to-Electric-Vehicle-Infrastructure.pdf, beama.org.uk