Access and Forward-Looking Charges Significant Code Review: Decision and Direction

In December 2018, we launched the Access and Forward-Looking Charges Significant Code Review (Access SCR), part of a package of reforms to how different parties access and pay charges for the electricity network. The objective of the Access SCR is to ensure that electricity networks are used efficiently and flexibly, reflecting users’ needs and allowing consumers to benefit from new technologies and services while avoiding unnecessary costs on energy bills in general.

Today we are publishing our final Decision and Direction on the Access SCR, covering two areas of the original scope:

The distribution connection charging boundary
The definition and choice of access rights

The original SCR scope also included a wide-ranging review of distribution use of system charges (DUoS) and a focussed review of transmission network use of system charges (TNUoS). These areas continue to be developed outside of our final Decision and Direction on the Access SCR.

Regarding the distribution connection charging boundary, we have decided to:

Reduce the overall connection charge faced by those connecting to the distribution network
Retain and strengthen existing protections for bill payers

Regarding the definition and choice of access rights, we have decided to:

Ensure a standardised non-firm access option is available for larger network users
Introduce clear curtailment limits and end-dates for non-firm access arrangements.

Alongside our decision, we are also publishing a direction to holders of a distribution licence to raise the requisite change proposals to the Distribution Connection and Use of System Agreement (the ‘DCUSA’) to give effect to our decision.