What has Ofgem decided about the grid upgrade in East Anglia?
Ofgem has approved £642.1 million of funding for a grid upgrade between Bramford in Suffolk and Twinstead in Essex, and cut £60.6 million from what the network owner asked for. The regulator announced the decision on 19 October 2026.
The project belongs to National Grid Electricity Transmission, and it is part of what the company calls its Great Grid Upgrade. NGET had requested £702.7 million. Ofgem says it looked closely at the proposed costs and trimmed the allowance to protect consumers from unnecessary spending.
Most of us never think about transmission lines until the bill arrives. This decision is a reminder that the cost of the wires is quietly part of the price you pay, even though you cannot shop around for it.
Key takeaways
- Ofgem approved £642.1 million for the Bramford to Twinstead grid upgrade, against £702.7 million requested.
- The project covers 18km of new overhead line, 11km of underground cable and a new substation at Twinstead Green.
- Ofgem estimates that its wider RIIO-3 plans could add £108 to bills by 2031, with around £60 of that for new electricity infrastructure.
- You cannot switch away from network costs, but you can still check your tariff.
What is the Bramford to Twinstead grid upgrade?
It is a reinforcement of the electricity transmission network in East Anglia. According to Ofgem, it includes 18km of new overhead line, 11km of underground cable, a new substation at Twinstead Green and upgrades to the existing Bramford substation.
The aim is to carry more low carbon and renewable power from the region as more generation connects to the grid by the end of the decade. Ofgem says the extra capacity should also reduce constraint costs, which are incurred when wind generators are paid to stop generating because the grid cannot carry all their power.
The scheme was fast tracked under Ofgem’s Accelerated Strategic Transmission Investment framework, known as ASTI. Ofgem says that framework is speeding up the delivery of 26 strategically important electricity transmission projects, while keeping scrutiny of costs and consumer protections in place.
Ofgem says its decision confirms the “minded to” view it published in its project assessment in January this year, and that it will keep checking spending on the project through the usual regulatory routes.
Will the grid upgrade change your energy bill?
Possibly, in the long run, and Ofgem gives its own estimate rather than a promise. In its notes to editors, Ofgem says the cost of this project and its forecast benefits were built into the RIIO-3 investment package, the price control that runs to March 2031.
Ofgem says that package could lead to £108 being added to bills by 2031. Around £60 of that is to pay for new electricity infrastructure, including this grid upgrade, and most of the £108 relates to investment cases Ofgem expects to receive through reopener mechanisms across the rest of the RIIO-3 period.
Ofgem also estimates that the electricity transmission investment will deliver savings of £80 compared with not investing in the grid. In other words, the regulator argues the grid upgrade should cost less than the alternative of leaving the network as it is.
These are Ofgem’s forecasts, and its release does not say how the figures are split between households and businesses, or whether they are annual, cumulative or one off. Treat them as an estimate, and check Ofgem’s RIIO-3 documents if you want the detail.
For where the price cap is heading next, see our January price cap forecast, and for how grid and data centre demand feeds into bills, our piece on AI data centres and electricity bills.
Why did Ofgem cut the cost of the grid upgrade?
Because it is meant to challenge network companies on what they spend. Ofgem’s Director of Major Projects, Beatrice Filkin, said Britain needs a bigger, stronger electricity grid to connect more homegrown clean power, and that “every penny invested must deliver value for consumers”.
She added that the cost of building this infrastructure now “will be less than the longer-term cost of doing nothing”.
Ofgem says it assessed NGET’s proposed project budget and cut £60.6 million from it, so the upgrade can go ahead while consumers are protected from unnecessary costs. It also says the investment should strengthen energy security and reduce the bottlenecks that can add costs to the system.
We have not independently checked NGET’s costings or Ofgem’s modelling, and this post reports Ofgem’s own account of its decision.
What can you do about your bills now?
Look at what you can control. Network costs are added to bills, so switching supplier will not remove them. Our standing charge reform news covers another change to the fixed part of your bill.
What you can do is check whether you are still on a tariff that suits you. If your fixed deal is ending, or you are on a standard variable tariff, it costs nothing to compare. Depending on your usage and your current deal, you may find options worth a look.
Keep it simple. Note your end date, read your latest bill, and compare before the next price cap announcement rather than after it.
Frequently asked questions about the grid upgrade
- How much did Ofgem approve for the Bramford to Twinstead project?
- Ofgem approved £642.1 million, compared with the £702.7 million National Grid Electricity Transmission asked for. That is a reduction of £60.6 million.
- What is ASTI?
- ASTI stands for Accelerated Strategic Transmission Investment. It is an Ofgem framework designed to speed up the delivery of 26 strategically important electricity transmission projects.
- Does this grid upgrade raise my bill today?
- Not directly. Ofgem’s figures are forecasts to 2031 under its RIIO-3 price control, and the release does not set out a per household amount.
- What are constraint costs?
- Ofgem describes them as the costs incurred when wind generators are paid to stop generating because there is not enough grid capacity to carry all their power.
Sources
- Ofgem press release, 19 October 2026: the £642.1 million allowance, the £702.7 million request and the £60.6 million cut, the 18km of overhead line, 11km of underground cable and Twinstead Green substation, the ASTI framework and its 26 projects, constraint costs, and the quotes from Beatrice Filkin, Director of Major Projects.
- Ofgem press release, notes to editors: the £108 added to bills by 2031, the roughly £60 for new electricity infrastructure, the £80 estimated saving against not investing, the RIIO-3 period running to March 2031, the reopener mechanisms behind most of the £108, and the January 2026 “minded to” project assessment.
Checked 20 October 2026.
