Pillar guide
UK grid connections for commercial energy projects: a guide to the six network operators
Most commercial energy projects that stall do not stall on credit. They stall on the connection. This guide explains who runs the local electricity network in each part of Great Britain, what you actually apply for, and how to keep a funded project moving while the network operator works through its side.
Written by Tom Chandler, Power and Energy Finance Specialist · Updated 2026
The short version
- Great Britain has six distribution network operator groups covering fourteen licence areas. Which one you deal with depends only on where the site is.
- Small generation such as a modest rooftop array is usually notified under G98. Anything larger, including most commercial solar and battery systems, needs a G99 application and approval before it connects.
- Behind the meter projects that stay inside the existing supply capacity, or limit export, are normally the quickest to deliver.
- Connection reform led by the network operators and Ofgem is reordering the queue around projects that are ready to build, so a project with a site, consents and funding in place is in a stronger position.
- Finance can be staged so you are not paying for kit that is sitting idle while you wait for energisation.
Who is my distribution network operator?
The distribution network operator, or DNO, owns and runs the cables, substations and transformers that bring electricity from the national transmission system to your meter. You do not choose it and it is not your energy supplier. It is fixed by geography, and the Energy Networks Association runs a postcode lookup if you are unsure.
There are also independent network operators who run smaller networks, often on newer business parks. If your site is on one of those, the connection still involves the regional DNO upstream.
| Network operator | Regions covered |
|---|---|
| National Grid Electricity Distribution | East Midlands, West Midlands, South West England and South Wales |
| UK Power Networks | London, South East England and the East of England |
| Northern Powergrid | North East England, Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire |
| Electricity North West | North West England, including Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Cumbria |
| SP Energy Networks | Central and southern Scotland, Merseyside, Cheshire and North Wales |
| Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks | North of Scotland and central southern England |
G98 or G99: which application applies
The engineering recommendations G98 and G99 set the rules for connecting generation and storage to the distribution network. G98 covers small, type tested equipment up to 16 amps per phase, roughly 3.68kW single phase or 11kW three phase. The installer notifies the DNO after commissioning.
Almost every commercial system is larger than that, so it falls under G99. That means an application before installation, a study by the DNO, and an offer that may come with conditions such as an export limit, protection settings or reinforcement costs. Batteries count, even if they never export, because they can.
In practice the installer or a connections consultant usually prepares the G99 paperwork. What matters for you is that the timetable sits with the DNO, not with the installer or the funder.
Why connection offers take so long
Where the local network has spare capacity, a G99 offer can come back within weeks. Where it does not, the DNO may need to reinforce its own network, or check with National Grid that the transmission system can take the extra generation. That second step is where many projects have waited a long time.
The queue has been crowded by speculative applications that hold capacity without being built. Reform agreed between the network companies and Ofgem is moving towards prioritising projects that can show they are ready, with land rights, planning and a credible delivery plan. For a commercial site that genuinely intends to build, that is good news.
Practical ways to keep a project moving
The fastest projects are designed around the connection the site already has. A solar array sized to daytime load, with export limited or switched off, often gets a quicker and cheaper answer than one designed to sell surplus to the grid.
Batteries help in two directions. They soak up surplus solar that would otherwise need export capacity, and they cut import peaks so the site can add EV chargers or new plant without asking for a bigger supply. On many sites a battery is what makes the rest of the project connectable.
- Get half-hourly consumption data before anything is designed.
- Ask the installer what the existing agreed capacity is, in kVA, and how close the site runs to it.
- Consider export limitation if the business case rests on self-consumption.
- Apply early. A G99 offer is easier to get now than to chase after equipment is ordered.
How finance is structured around the connection
Funders are comfortable with connection risk when it is visible and planned for. They are uncomfortable when it is a surprise. A proposal that shows the DNO position, the expected energisation date and what happens if it slips is far easier to credit.
We commonly arrange staged drawdowns, so payments to the installer are released against delivery and commissioning milestones, and the monthly instalments begin once the system is working. Reinforcement charges and connection works can often sit inside the same facility as the hardware.
Where this applies
Continue reading
- Pillar guideBattery storage finance in the UK: the complete guide for commercial projects
- Pillar guideCommercial solar finance in the UK: the complete guide
- Pillar guidePower purchase agreements explained: the UK business guide to PPAs
- Pillar guideEV charging infrastructure for UK businesses: costs, grid capacity and funding
FAQs
Common questions
The questions that come up most often on this subject.
Is my DNO the same as my electricity supplier?
No. Your supplier sells you the energy and sends the bill. The DNO owns the local network and is fixed by location. You cannot switch DNO, and connection applications go to the DNO rather than the supplier.
Do I need G99 approval for a battery that never exports?
Generally yes. Because the battery is capable of exporting, it is treated as generation. An export limitation scheme can be part of the application and often makes approval simpler.
How long does a G99 application take?
Where there is capacity locally, offers commonly arrive within a few weeks to a few months. Where reinforcement or a transmission check is needed it can take much longer, which is why we ask about the connection in the first conversation.
Can grid connection costs be financed?
Often, yes. DNO connection charges and reinforcement works can usually be funded alongside the equipment, with drawdowns timed to when the money is actually due.