The UK will grant more power to Ofgem to protect consumers

The United Kingdom will overhaul its energy regulator Ofgem, granting it new powers to enforce consumer law directly and to ensure energy bosses actually act on behalf of consumers by banning executive bonuses if they break the rules (Government press release, 22/04/2026).

Under the reforms, Ofgem will be able to enforce consumer law directly, bypassing what officials described as a “lengthy courts process” when companies treat customers unfairly. The regulator will also gain the power to ban bonuses for energy executives who breach the rules.

The announcement follows several measures taken by the UK government to accelerate its energy transition and tackle rising energy prices amid the Middle East crisis. 

A few days ago, the UK government sent a letter to the energy industry stating that further delays to grid connection offers in the UK will not be accepted. New measures to address the continued oversupply of BESS are also being considered, including proposals for a new fee for oversubscribed technologies. The overhaul of Great Britain’s connections queue has faced significant delays, frustrating project developers and prompting a reaction from the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ).

Grid operator NESO began implementing connections reform in late 2025, in response to unsustainable growth in Great Britain’s connections queue. A tenfold increase over a five‑year period produced a queue of more than 700 GW of generation and energy storage projects, with some shovel‑ready projects facing a 10‑year wait to connect (ESS news, 16/03/2026).

In addition, the government has unveiled plans to introduce voluntary long‑term fixed‑price agreements for electricity producers not currently covered by the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme, as part of its efforts to address rising electricity costs (KEI, 22/04/2026).