Great British Grid will invest in new networks, but its effect on bills is unproven

Great British Grid, a publicly owned body within Great British Energy, was announced by the UK government on 29 September 2026 to invest in electricity network projects across Britain. It will work alongside existing operators and may compete for future transmission work. The government says the changes could speed connections and lower costs, but neither outcome has yet been demonstrated.

What Great British Grid will do

The government says Great British Grid will combine public capital with private investment in network infrastructure. It also plans to accelerate competitive tenders for transmission projects, allowing the new body and other organisations to bid for work. That gives the public body a potential role in building future parts of the grid, rather than ownership of the existing network.

Existing network operators will retain their roles, according to the government’s announcement. Ofgem will remain the independent economic regulator, while the National Energy System Operator, known as NESO, will continue to operate, plan and coordinate the electricity system. The government does not expect the new body to affect existing project commitments under Ofgem licences that are in force or being negotiated.

The distinction matters for claims about public control. Guardian columnist Nils Pratley argued that the plan does not nationalise the grid. He cited energy consultant and former government official Adam Bell, who said a state-backed bidder could give the state better information about network construction costs. That information might help Ofgem assess private network companies’ costs, but it is a potential benefit, not a measured result.

How the connections proposal could affect projects

The connection queue affects more than power stations. The Guardian reports that applicants include renewable energy and battery developers as well as proposed housing, factories and datacentres. It says waits exceeded 15 years at one point, partly because speculative applications crowded the queue. Complaints about connection speed have persisted despite efforts by NESO and Ofgem to prioritise projects considered ready to proceed.

The government says its queue reforms have removed more than 300 gigawatts of speculative capacity. It also points to similar self-build reforms in Ireland, saying they reduced connection times there by up to 11 months. That figure describes the Irish experience; it does not establish how much time the British proposals will save.

What the plan could mean for electricity bills

Grid investment ultimately matters to households because network costs are recovered through energy bills. The Guardian reports that Great Britain’s network companies are expected to spend £70 billion to £80 billion between 2026 and 2030, citing NESO, with a further £89 billion potentially needed in the 2030s. Against that scale, the cost of building the network and the timing of projects could both affect consumers.

The Guardian says grid costs account for almost a quarter of household electricity bills, equivalent to about £210 on the average annual dual-fuel bill last year. It reports that some analysts project £341 by 2030. Those estimates provide context for the government’s promise to cut costs, but the announcement gives no estimate of savings attributable to Great British Grid.

Views on the proposal differ. Common Wealth director Mathew Lawrence told the Guardian that it could help rebuild public capacity in energy, while saying his organisation favours a fully public grid. Greenpeace policy director Doug Parr called it a welcome step on a longstanding problem for clean energy projects. An unnamed network industry source questioned whether additional competitors would overcome shared constraints in supply chains, skilled labour and planning.

Budget and delivery details still to come

Great British Grid’s initial start-up costs will come from Great British Energy’s existing budgets. The government says a long-term budget for the expanded role will be considered in a future spending review. It has not identified the new body’s first projects or set out an operational timetable in the announcement.

The practical test will come as tenders and connection reforms proceed. For now, the government has established the body’s intended role and proposed wider self-build rights. Whether these changes shorten waits, reduce construction costs or lower bills remains an open question.