Who does what in UK electricity for your business site?

Identify the job before choosing the contact. Your supplier handles the retail account, the local network handles the connection, and metering agents handle equipment and data. NESO balances Britain's electricity system around 50 Hz [S3]. Regulators, government and market administrators perform different roles again. Use the directory below to route your site's enquiry. Checked October 2026.

Last checked 18 October 2026

Who sets policy, regulates companies and balances the system?

Use this directory when a project involves several electricity organisations. The roles below describe Great Britain’s arrangements; Ofgem’s market remit covers England, Scotland and Wales [S1]. Northern Ireland needs its own regulatory and network checks.

Policy sets the direction, regulation governs licensed activity, and system operation matches generation with demand. Metering and settlement then provide the records used in the market. For the physical route and its charges, read how electricity reaches your business.

DESNZ means Department for Energy Security and Net Zero; NESO is the National Energy System Operator [S2], [S3]. A DNO is a distribution network operator [S5]. MOP means meter operator [S6], and ENA means Energy Networks Association [S8].

These are functions, not a shortlist of companies to buy from. Ask each project contact which role it is performing and which work its contract covers. Keep the answer with the supply records so a staff change does not lose the reason for an appointment.

Who should you contact about your connection or meter?

For added electrical load, start by identifying your network operator and giving the designer your proposed equipment requirements. For meter works, involve the supplier and appointed MOP. The DNO connection guide shows network construction and meter installation as coordinated but separate activities [S6].

Make a contact sheet with a named project lead, application reference and the party responsible for the next handover. Ask who tells the meter operator that the connection is ready, and who confirms the agreed completion sequence. A booked construction visit should not be your only evidence that the meter appointment is arranged.

Use the grid upgrade guide for project scope and the metering and DUoS guide for consumption records and distribution charges. DUoS means Distribution Use of System. Keep network quotations separate from retail contract documents when preparing the project file.

Why do electricity data collectors and aggregators matter?

Data collection checks individual metered records; aggregation combines records for settlement. The Balancing and Settlement Code, or BSC, has supplier-volume allocation provisions describing those functions and the transition to newer data-service roles [S7]. Ask your supplier which arrangements apply to your meter now, rather than relying on an old agent name.

Settlement is the market process for allocating energy volumes and related obligations. NESO’s operational work is different: it keeps generation and demand aligned around the system’s 50 Hz frequency [S3]. A correction to consumption data and a change to network capacity therefore need different investigations.

For a site project, request a dated consumption export and identify who resolves missing or disputed intervals. Tell the designer which records are actual readings and which are estimates. Avoid treating an unexplained gap as proof that your building had spare capacity during that period.

What this means for your site

Translate a problem into a specific request before sending it. A disputed invoice needs the billing period and contract reference; a connection project needs the proposed load and site details; a metering issue needs the equipment and supply identifiers. Ask the recipient to confirm ownership of the next action.

Use the bill explainer for charge definitions and business electricity data for price context. This directory helps you route questions; it does not compare suppliers or suggest a supply tariff.

What should you do next?

Bring your contact sheet to the site check and define the project under cut energy costs. Then get matched with an installer that covers your area.

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