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PRIVACY
Economic Development

Major upgrade to º£½ÇÊÓÆµ energy infrastructure to push up household bills

Ofgem has announced a five-year plan to improve Britain's energy network that will cost billions of pounds

People walking their dogs at a wind farm(Image: PA)

A £28bn investment in the º£½ÇÊÓÆµ's energy network will push up household bills by more than £100 by 2031, Britain's energy watchdog has said.

Under the plan, announced by Ofgem on Thursday (December 4), £17.8bn will go towards maintaining gas networks and £10.3bn will be used to improve the electricity transmission network.

In total, £108 will be added to household bills by 2031, with £48 for gas and £60 for electricity.

But the regulator said that overall the amount people would pay for energy would actually only rise £30 a year as the proposals would reduce º£½ÇÊÓÆµ reliance on imported gas and make wholesale energy cheaper.

Jonathan Brearley, Ofgem chief executive, said the funding would keep Britain’s energy network "among the safest, most secure and resilient in the world".

"The investment will support the transition to new forms of energy and support new industrial customers to help drive economic growth and insulate us from volatile gas prices," he said.

Ofgem also pledged to hold network companies accountable for delivering on time and on budget.

"We make no apologies for the efficiency challenge we're setting as the industry scales up investment," added Mr Brearley.