BSUOS

  • Energy storage and flexibility

    Network charging – what’s been going on and why should I care?

    Across Great Britain there are ~810,000km of wires and underground cables that make up our electricity network. Split between the higher voltage, transmission system and the lower voltage distribution system, these lines and cables are responsible for transporting electrons up and down the country to provide consumers with the necessary...

  • Business supply and services

    Re-balancing the balancing costs –BSUoS charges to be levied solely on suppliers from April 2023

    Balancing the electricity system costs money. National Grid in its role as Electricity System Operator (ESO) takes actions in every half hour to achieve the remarkable feat of keeping supply and demand finely balanced on our national electricity system – maintaining a system which runs between 49.8 and 50.2Hz with...

  • Low carbon generation

    What to look out for in Third Party Charges in 2022-23

    In recent months, the GB energy market has been exposed to extreme volatility as wholesale prices have grown rapidly, leading to a significant number of supplier exits and questions over consumer affordability of energy bills. This has resulted in notable movement across a number of non-commodity costs (also known as...

  • Commercial and market outlook

    A look back at 2020 part 4

    As we take our first steps into 2021, we take our final look back at the biggest developments in the UK energy markets in 2020, setting us up for the significant year ahead. Ofgem issued its decarbonisation Action Plan on 3 February as Jonathan Brearley became Ofgem CEO, setting out...

  • Low carbon generation

    The Balancing Mechanism and BSUoS under lockdown

    The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown restrictions have severely impacted the GB energy market with demand and prices at record lows. As market conditions have drastically changed, National Grid Electricity System Operator (NG ESO) has been much in the spotlight, with the current low demand scenario providing new operational challenges....

  • Regulation and policy

    Industry codes flex for COVID-19

    In response to the growing impacts of the pandemic, which has seen electricity demand drop dramatically and industry participants unable to go about many of their usual activities, a series of temporary changes have been introduced across industry codes to mitigate some of the most severe effects. They have all...

  • Energy storage and flexibility

    BSUoS in COVID-19

    This week National Grid Electricity System Operator (“the ESO”) released its latest forecast of Balancing Services Use of System (BSUoS) charges – levied on suppliers and large generators to recover costs incurred by the ESO in managing the system on a second by second basis. In this blog we look...

  • Regulation and policy

    Spring renewal: CMP332 withdrawn pending reinvigoration

    Ofgem’s Targeted Charging Review (TCR) has been a major workstream in the electricity industry since it was kicked off in March 2017. Looking at several elements of the network charging regime that were deemed no longer fit for purpose in the changing energy system, it has wound its way towards...

  • Home supply and services

    From “what if?” to “what now?”

    As the UK begins its third week of lockdown, the nation’s energy sector continues to wait to see whether there will be any economic or financial support targeted specifically at end users, suppliers, network operators and fellow participants alike. Immediate issues for end users include their ability to pay their...

  • Commercial and market outlook

    Editor’s Pick | The latest chapter in the ongoing network charging saga

    This article was originally published in Energy Spectrum Issue 692 on 18 November 2019. With the publication of a decision on the Targeted Charging Review (TCR) Significant Code Review (SCR), Ofgem’s attempt to reshape electricity network charges to be fit for a world of decentralisation and electrification have entered their next phase....

  • Commercial and market outlook

    Network Charging Reforms Factsheet: Targeted Charging Review

    Ofgem recently published its decision on the Targeted Charging Review (TCR) Significant Code Review (SCR) and issued a direction to the network companies to progress code modifications to give effect to the conclusions. There are two main elements to the review: Balancing Services Use of System (BSUoS) charges for embedded...

  • Low carbon generation

    Constrained development: Scottish wind and the issues of network charging

    Northern Scotland is home to a significant proportion of GB renewables, particularly onshore wind capacity. The region is also likely to be a leader in new capacity developments and we are working directly with a number of developers looking to finalise new subsidy-free projects here. Under subsidy schemes, there is...

  • Regulation and policy

    BSUoS task force report sets scene for Targeted Charging Review decision

    The Electricity System Operator (ESO) led task force issued its final report on 31 May, recommending that all the costs in balancing services use of system (BSUoS) charges should be treated solely as cost recovery. The report will feed into Ofgem’s decision on the Targeted Charging Review (TCR) Significant Code...

  • Commercial and market outlook

    Five things we learnt from Energy Spectrum | Issue 651

    We present five key themes and findings from this week’s edition of Energy Spectrum Issue 651 The debate around new nuclear continues to shift at pace, not least as a result of growing confidence in the role that renewable sources, flexibility, demand-side response and interconnectors can play. In this week’s...

  • Home supply and services

    Index of Domestic Energy Supply Costs | February 2018

    The Cornwall Insight Index of Domestic Energy Supply Costs is updated monthly, tracking the costs that electricity and gas suppliers face. It is baselined to a value of 1,000 points in January 2012 and is calculated using Ofgem’s typical domestic consumption values (TDCVs) for medium users. In February 2018 the...

  • Home supply and services

    Index of Domestic Energy Supply Costs | December 2017

    The Cornwall Index of Domestic Energy Supply Costs is updated monthly, tracking the costs that electricity and gas suppliers face. It is baselined to a value of 1,000 points in January 2012 and is calculated using Ofgem’s typical domestic consumption values (TDCVs) for medium users. In December 2017 the electricity...