Task Forces

Charging Futures Task Forces help identify options for a broad charging topic and support Ofgem in assessing these options. Each Task Force is made up of volunteers who actively contribute by identifying options, producing impact assessments, and engaging with wider industry participants. 

Transmission Network Use of Systems charges Task Force

Following Ofgem’s update on their thoughts around what is in and out of scope of the Task Force at the end of May 2022, the application process for becoming a member of the Transmission Network Use of System (TNUoS) Task Force was opened to industry.

The task force will look at: 

  • Root causes of the unpredictability of TNUoS charges and how these might be addressed.  
  • Examination of the input data into the current model used to calculate the locational element of TNUoS to ensure charges remain cost reflective. This will consider the inherent trade-off between improving predictability and cost reflectivity.  
  • NESO will be leading and providing coordination and administrative (secretariat) support for the task force.  The scope for the task force and timetable for delivery of the outputs can be found in the terms of reference.

Read Ofgem's Task Force update

Task Force members

The Task Force members have been selected to bring together a group of people with a range of strengths and expertise and ensure balanced representation across different interests and roles within the industry. 

Membership is made up of a range of TNUoS-interested participants, detailed below. 

Role Name
Generator Task Force members Stephen McKellar
  Grace March
  Joe Dunn
  John Tindal
  Joseph Dunn
  Lauren Jauss
  Paul Jones
  Adam Morrison
Storage operators Task Force member Simon Lord
Supplier Task Force members Aled Moses
  Binoy Dharsi
  George Moran
  Sam Davies
Non-domestic energy users Task Force member TBC
Consumer representatives Task Force member Sam Hughes
National Grid Electricity Systems Operator Task Force member Christian Parsons
Ofgem Task Force member Harriet Harmon
Transmission Owner Task Force observer TBC
Distribution Network Operator Task Force observer Kyle Smith

Meeting resources

Rich text
Meeting 1: 13 July, London Agenda Slides Summary Chair's post-meeting 1 thoughts
Meeting 2: 10 August, virtual Agenda Slides Summary Grace March's pre-meeting 2 thoughts

Chair's post-meeting 2 thoughts
Meeting 3: 7 September, Solihull Agenda Slides Summary Joe Dunn's pre-meeting 3 catch-up
Meeting 4: 5 October, virtual Agenda Slides Summary  
Meeting 5: 26 April, virtual Agenda Slides Summary  
Meeting 5.5: 17 May, virtual Agenda Slides Summary  
Meeting 6: 26 June, Warwick Agenda Slides Summary  
Meeting 7: 27 July, Warwick Agenda Slides Summary  
Meeting 7.5: 18 August, virtual Agenda Slides Summary  
Meeting 8: 15 September, Solihull Agenda Slides Summary  
Meeting 9: 11 October, Solihull Agenda Slides Summary  
Meeting 9.5: 25 October, virtual Agenda Slides Summary  
Meeting 10: 15 November, London Agenda Slides   Headline report
Meeting 11: 10 January, virtual Agenda Slides   Headline report
Meeting 12: 25 January, Solihull Agenda Slides   Headline report
Meeting 13: 27 February, virtual Agenda Slides   Headline report
Meeting 14: 27 March, London Agenda Slides   Headline report
Meeting 16: 30 May, Warwick   Slides CUSC Mod Proposal Headline report

Access and forward looking charges Task Forces

This Task Force has now concluded. 

What was the scope of the Task Force?

The terms of reference outlined the scopes of the Task Forces, as well as what the expected outputs were. Their contribution and outputs were shared for review at the quarterly Charging Futures forums. They were also shared with the Charging Delivery Body, to consider the best route for implementation.

Task Force members 

These Task Forces were chaired by Ofgem, supported by Energy Networks Association as secretariat. Task Force members were volunteers representing a spectrum of industry participants - from network users, network owners, and subject matter experts.   

View the Task Force member list

Task Force publications

Final report and conclusions

In response to Ofgem's working paper on the "reform of electricity network access and forward looking charges," the Charging Futures access and forward looking task forces produced a report which outlines conclusions to support the reform. 

Download the final report

If you would like to hear an introduction to the report, you can listen to our final task force podcast on iTunes or SoundCloud.

Meeting resources

15 May 18 - Joint task force meeting

Minutes

 

17 April 18 - Joint task force meeting

Minutes 

 

21 March 18 - Forward-looking task force meeting

Minutes

 

20 March 18 - Access task force meeting

Minutes

 

20 February 18 - Joint task force meeting

Slides Minutes Actions

 

25 January 18 - Forward-looking task force meeting

Minutes

 

24 January 18 - Access task force meeting

Minutes

 

21 December 17 - Forward-looking task force meeting

Agenda Slides Minutes

 

18 December 17 - Access task force meeting

Agenda Slides Minutes

 

1 December 17 - Joint task force meeting

Slides Actions Summary
Balancing Services charges Task Force

This Task Force has now concluded. 

Ofgem asked the Electricity System Operator (ESO) to launch a Balancing Services Charges Task Force under the Charging Futures arrangements, to provide analysis to support decisions on the future direction of Balancing Services Use of System charges (BSUoS).

The ESO lead and provided coordination and administrative (secretariat) support for the Task Force. The scope for the Task Force and timetable for delivery of the outputs can be found in the terms of reference.

Task force members

The task force members are detailed below:

Name Organisation Email Role
Colm Murphy National Grid ESO [email protected] Chair
Joseph Henry National Grid ESO [email protected] Technical Secretary
Mike Oxenham National Grid ESO [email protected] Member
John Tindall SSE PLC [email protected] Member
Paul Jones Uniper UK Ltd [email protected] Member
Paul Mott EDF Energy [email protected] Member
George Moran Centrica [email protected] Member
Grace Smith UK Power Reserve [email protected] Member
Laurence Barrett E.On [email protected] Member
David Bird Octopus Investments [email protected] Member
Dr Graham Pannell RES [email protected] Member
Lisa Waters Waters Wye Associates [email protected] Member
Caroline Bragg The Association for Decentralised Energy [email protected] Member
Nicholas Gall Solar Trade Association [email protected] Member
Joseph Underwood Energy UK [email protected] Member
James Kerr Citizens Advice [email protected] Member
Rob Hudson Tata Chemicals Europe [email protected] Member
Tom Edwards Cornwall Insight [email protected] Member
Nigel Bessant SSEN DNO [email protected] Member
Tim Aldridge Ofgem [email protected] Member
Second Balancing Services charges Task Force

This Task Force has now concluded. 

As you may be aware, Ofgem published their final decision and impact assessment on the Targeted Charging Review in November 2019. Ofgem made an important announcement on the work of the Balancing Services Task Force.

The first Task Force concluded that Balancing Services charges should be treated as cost-recovery charges. In order to develop this work further, Ofgem requested a second Balancing Services task force, led by National Grid ESO.

The Task Force looked at applying the TCR principles to balancing services charges as a cost-recovery charge to consider how they should be recovered. The second task force looked at two specific questions:

  • Who should be liable for Balancing Services charges.
  • How should these charges be recovered.

The ESO lead and provided coordination and administrative (secretariat) support for the task force.  The scope for the Task Force and timetable for delivery of the outputs can be found in the terms of reference.

Ofgem published their final view on the findings of the second Balancing Services charges Task force, which concluded in September 2020.

Ofgem are supportive in principle of the recommendations put forwards by the Task Force, which are as follows. 

Who should pay BSUoS?

  1. BSUoS should be levied on final demand.

How should BSUoS be recovered?

  1. BSUoS should be a volumetric (£/MWh) charge.
  2. BSUoS charges should be fixed ex-ante.
  3. The combined length of fix and notice period should be 14/15 months.

What are the next steps?

Ofgem has indicated that solutions to deliver the Task Force’s recommendations will be developed through the code modification process. To support their evaluation of these proposals, Ofgem will undertake further work to:

  • Explore the cashflow exposure to the ESO of managing a fixed BSUoS charge and any alternatives for which a different party manages the risk
  • Undertake quantitative analysis to assess the net benefits of the proposals and the potential impact on energy intensive users

Read Ofgem's letter on its views on the findings of the Task Force.

Task force members

The task force members are detailed below:

Name Organisation Role
Colm Murphy National Grid ESO Chair   
Joseph Henry National Grid ESO Technical Secretary
Jon Wisdom National Grid ESO Task force member
Andrew Rimmer Engie Task force member
Lisa Waters Waters Wye Task force member
Olaf Islei Shell Energy Task force member
Tom Steward Good Energy Task force member
Joshua Logan Drax Group Task force member
John Tindal SSE Plc Task force member
George Moran Centrica Task force member
Simon Cowdroy RES Task force member
George Douthwaite RWE Npower Task force member
Caroline Bragg ADE Task force member
Keith Munday Bryte Energy Task force member
Paul Jones Uniper Task force member
Joseph Underwood Energy UK Task force member
Tom Edwards Cornwall Insight Task force member
Grace March Sembcorp Task force member

Meeting resources

30 January 2020

Agenda Slides Summary Podcast

 

12 February 2020 

Agenda Slides Headline report Summary

 

25 February 2020 

Agenda Slides Headline report Summary Podcast

 

11 March 2020 

Agenda Slides Headline report Summary

 

1 April 2020 

Agenda Slides Headline report Podcast

 

8 July 2020 

Agenda Slides Action log Headline report

 

20 July 2020 

Webinar Slides

 

11 August 2020 

Webinar Slides

 

2 September 2020 

Agenda Slides Headline report

 

9 September 2020 

Agenda Slides Headline report

 

17 September 2020 

Agenda Slides
Industry-led access working group

This group has now concluded. 

The industry led access working group considered incremental improvements to the allocation of access rights, including better management of connection queues, allowing distributed generation with non-firm connections to trade with others to reduce the extent they are curtailed, and better enabling the exchange of access rights between users. 

This group was made up of the network companies and the Electricity System Operator as established by Ofgem.

Phone showing NESO app

Get in touch

If you have any questions about any of the Charging Futures task forces, please don't hesitate to ask us at [email protected] 

You can also join our mailing list to be informed of any new task forces.