Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much money has been returned to Government by the electricity transmission, electricity distribution and gas distribution companies in each of the last four years.

Great Britain’s electricity and gas transmission and distribution networks are operated by private companies regulated by the independent energy regulator Ofgem in order to ensure that they deliver a safe, reliable network whilst investing for the future and providing value for money for customers.

The regulation process, including the setting of price controls which determines revenue allowances for network companies, is a matter for Ofgem and, by law, must be carried out independently of Government.

Ofgem estimates that the design of the current price control (which started in 2013 for electricity transmission and gas distribution and 2015 for electricity distribution), together with voluntary returns by network companies, is expected to secure additional savings of £4.5bn for consumers during the course of the price control. Ofgem is continuing to engage with network companies to identify further savings and has warned them to prepare for tougher price controls in the future.