On 30 January 2025, the Department for Economy (DfE) published a consultation on the 'Increased Socialisation of Connection Costs in the Electricity Distribution Network’.
The consultation is in relation to the costs customers are charged when connecting to the distribution electricity network, for reinforcement costs which their connection may cause.
Information on how to respond is on DfE’s website. Increased Socialisation of Connection Costs in the Electricity Distribution Network | economy-ni.gov.uk
You can also respond via Citizen Space: Increased Socialisation of Connection Costs in the Electricity Distribution Network I nidirect. gov.uk
The current connection charging policy for the distribution network in Northern Ireland, is to charge customers seeking a new connection to the distribution network for the cost of any reinforcement to the network, triggered by their connection request, as well as the cost of the lines and plant directly needed to make the connection from the existing network to the customer’s meter connection.
DfE’s consultation puts forward a number of options for increasing the level of distribution reinforcement which is charged to general network costs. It sets out the benefits and likely costs of each option.
The consultation closes on Thursday 24 April 2025, 11.59 pm.