We are pleased to share our Article on the OFGEM Electricity Charges. As always, if you would like to understand how these changes will affect your development, then please contact us and we will be happy to assist
Following the OFGEM published Access and Forward-Looking Charges Significant Code Review: Final Decision document in May 2022 regarding significant changes to the electricity charging arrangements, Brookbanks are delighted to hear that these are planned to go ahead in April 2023.
Currently, developers will be required to pay proportions of the required upgrade works when the local network is at/close to capacity. Adding significant offsite routing costs can result in substantial costs to developers. However, at long last, this matter is looking like it is finally coming under at least some semblance of control.
The changes are likely to lessen financial issues to developers when significant reinforcements and developers will no longer be required to fund straightforward reinforcement works, depending on the threshold, for the majority of Sites. This will mean that a substantial element of large costs currently being seen on quotations could be eliminated.
There are still some limitations, including:
Brookbanks are currently working with and liaising with DNO’s across the country to understand further implications of these changes, to ensure our clients receive the best value outcome for their Site.
If you would like to understand how these changes will affect your development, please contact us and we will be happy to assist.
Explore how structural and building services design overlap across RIBA stages, why coordination matters, and how our integrated approach improves building engineering outcomes.
The UK’s housing delivery challenge is well-documented. Yet amid the national conversation about planning reform, infrastructure, and build-out rates, one group consistently punches above its weight: Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise (SME) housebuilders. SMEs are a vital part of the solution, but they face very real and persistent hurdles development strategies.
At Brookbanks, we know EV charging becomes far more manageable when it’s approached as part of a wider development picture rather than an isolated task. Rising regulatory demands, limited capacity, cost pressures and the realities of underground or enclosed parking all interact in ways that can affect programme, viability and long‑term performance. This article looks at the recurring challenges we see across residential, commercial and mixed‑use projects and the practical steps that help developments meet Part S requirements, manage grid limitations, integrate load‑balancing and smart‑charging systems, and plan for solar PV and battery storage. The aim is to provide clear, grounded insight that helps teams design EV strategies that genuinely stand up to modern development demands.