Consultation and Notice on proposed licence modifications to reflect the GD23 price control final determination and other regulatory decisions

Today, we launch a consultation on proposed licence modifications to the conveyance licences for the three gas distribution network operators (GDNs):

• firmus energy (Distribution) Limited (FE);
• Phoenix Natural Gas Limited (PNGL); and
• Scotia Gas Networks Northern Ireland Ltd (SGN).

This is mainly to reflect the outcome of the GD23 price control.  We note that not all licence modifications proposed are applicable to all GDNs. The table below provides an overview over the different types of licence modifications we propose to make and to which GDNs they apply.

Overview of proposed licence modifications

The purpose of the modifications is to implement the above decisions and to address some inconsistencies between the licences held by the GDNs.

We have included a detailed commentary for the reasons and effects of the proposed licence modifications within Chapters 2-6 inclusive of our licence modification consultation. The relevant chapters for the reasons and effects are as follows:

• Chapter 2- Proposed licence modifications for Designated Parameters and Determination Values.
• Chapter 3- Proposed amendments for the granting of Additional areas to FE.
• Chapter 4- Proposed amendments for changing the indexation from Retail Price Index to Consumer Prices Index including owner occupiers’ housing costs.
• Chapter 5- Proposed amendments to change from London Inter-bank Offered rate (LIBOR) to Bank of England (BOE) base rate.
• Chapter 6- Proposed amendments for licence inconsistencies. 

In addition, this licence consultation is complemented by 6 annexes which are outlined below and may be accessed at the respective links. 

Submission of consultation responses

We invite stakeholders to express a view on any particular aspect of the paper or any related matter.  Responses should be received on or before 5.00pm on 25 November 2022 and should be addressed to:

 Paul Harland, Utility Regulator, Network Price Controls, Queens House, 14 Queen Street, Belfast BT1 6ED

Tel: 028 9031 1575

Email: Gas_networks_responses@uregni.gov.uk with cc to paul.harland@uregni.gov.uk

Our preference would be for responses to be submitted by e-mail.

Your response may be made public by us. If you do not want all or part of your response or name made public, please state this clearly in the response by marking your response as ‘CONFIDENTIAL.’

If you want other information that you provide to be treated as confidential, please be aware that, under the FOIA, there is a statutory Code of Practice with which public authorities must comply and which deals, amongst other things, with obligations of confidence.  In view of this, it would be helpful if you could explain to us why you regard the information you have provided as confidential.

Information provided in response to this consultation, including personal information, may be subject to publication or disclosure in accordance with the access to information regimes (these are primarily the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA)).

As stated in the GDPR Privacy Statement for consumers and stakeholders, any personal data contained within your response will be deleted once the matter being consulted on has been concluded though the substance of the response may be retained.

This document is available in other accessible formats, such as large print, Braille, audio cassette and a variety of relevant minority languages if required.  Please contact Paul Harland on either 028 9031 1575 or email: Gas_networks_responses@uregni.gov.uk with cc to paul.harland@uregni.gov.uk to request this.

We have also published this consultation on CitizenSpace.