Ofgem consults on central electricity asset register

Ofgem has proposed a framework for a Central Asset Register intended to improve how information about electricity distribution assets is stored, shared and accessed across Great Britain. The regulator is consulting on the register’s functions, design principles and potential delivery arrangements as growing numbers of distributed generation and flexible demand assets change the information required for network planning.

The consultation, published on 12 October, sets out possible approaches to establishing the register and Ofgem’s emerging assessment of the preferred delivery model. It also includes a draft impact assessment intended to examine the costs and anticipated benefits of improving asset visibility. Responses are invited until 7 December 2026.

Distribution network operators, the National Energy System Operator (NESO), Elexon, ElectraLink and flexibility service providers are among the organisations encouraged to contribute. Their responsibilities differ, but each may depend on accurate information about equipment connected to the electricity system and the characteristics that determine how those assets affect network operation.

Britain’s distribution networks are accommodating increasing numbers of rooftop photovoltaic installations, batteries, electric vehicle chargers and other equipment capable of changing local electricity demand or export. These assets are installed at many individual premises, creating a different information-management challenge from that associated with a smaller number of conventional generating stations.

Existing asset information is maintained through several industry systems and registration processes. The information collected, the way it is recorded and the organisations able to access it can differ according to the type of equipment and the process through which it was connected. Ofgem has previously identified incomplete records and inconsistent arrangements as obstacles to obtaining a reliable view of distributed electricity resources.

The proposed register would establish a more coordinated approach to managing relevant asset information. Its usefulness will depend on the accuracy of the underlying records, the extent to which they can be updated and the ability of authorised organisations to interpret information consistently. The current consultation seeks views on those requirements rather than imposing a completed technical architecture.

Better information about connected generation can improve distribution network assessments. Rooftop solar installations may export electricity into local circuits when production exceeds consumption at the premises, potentially changing voltage conditions and reversing power flows that would traditionally have been directed towards customers.

At the same time, the concentration of electric vehicle charging and electrically driven heating can increase demand on particular feeders and substations. Network operators need sufficient information about connected equipment to estimate loading under different conditions and establish whether reinforcement or alternative operating arrangements may be required.

The electrical effect of an installation depends partly on where it is connected. Two batteries with identical power ratings may influence different network constraints if they are connected to separate circuits, while a collection of smaller devices can create a significant combined load on one transformer. Reliable asset records can improve the inputs used for these assessments, provided location and equipment characteristics are recorded accurately.

Asset registration should nevertheless be distinguished from operational monitoring. A register can identify equipment and its relevant characteristics without necessarily providing live measurements of its output, consumption or availability. Real-time visibility and control require additional metering, communications and operational systems, which serve different purposes from the maintenance of a common asset record.

That distinction also applies to electricity flexibility markets. Providers may aggregate batteries, vehicle chargers and other controllable resources to offer changes in consumption or export when requested. Information about their electrical location can help establish whether a flexibility service is relevant to a particular network constraint, but a registration entry does not guarantee that the equipment will be available to respond.

The amount of flexibility available from a device changes with its operating conditions. A battery’s state of charge, a vehicle’s charging requirements and the thermal demand of a building all affect the response that can be delivered. Asset information can support the identification and assessment of resources, while separate operational data is needed to determine their immediate availability.

Ofgem’s work follows a December 2025 consultation examining possible requirements for distribution network operators to maintain asset registers that support data exchange. The October proposals develop the question of how information should be organised and made accessible through a Central Asset Register, including the functions and delivery arrangements needed to support industry use.

Information governance will influence the final model because equipment records can contain commercially sensitive details or information associated with identifiable premises. The system must provide appropriate access to organisations with legitimate requirements while maintaining controls over data use, quality and responsibility for updates.

A common registration arrangement could reduce differences between existing datasets, but the benefits would depend on how accurately records are transferred and maintained. Duplicate entries, incomplete connection information or inconsistent equipment identifiers could otherwise create uncertainty even where the information is brought together through a shared system.

Ofgem is seeking views on the outcomes the register should support, its minimum functional requirements and the relative merits of the shortlisted delivery options. The accompanying impact assessment remains a draft, and neither a final delivery organisation nor a complete implementation timetable has been established through the consultation announcement.

Responses close on 7 December. The regulator will use the evidence received to determine the future arrangements for electricity asset visibility, including how a Central Asset Register could interact with existing industry systems and support the continued growth of distributed generation and flexible demand.