New connection FAQs
The questions we are asked most when a business needs a new electricity or gas supply: who the players are, what contestable works mean, who pays, how long it takes, and what an MPAN or MPRN is. The answers below are general guidance, because every connection is individually quoted from a site survey. For the full picture, start at the new energy connections hub.
A new connection is not one job, it is a sequence run by separate parties: the network operator, an Independent Connection Provider or utility contractor, and your eventual supplier. These FAQs cover each stage. Where it matters we link through to the detail, including the step-by-step routes for a new electricity connection and a new gas connection, and how the charges break down on the new connection costs page.
Frequently asked questions
Grouped by topic, with each question answered once. If yours is not here, the connections team will answer it directly.
The basics
- What is an ICP?
- ICP stands for Independent Connection Provider: a company accredited under the National Electricity Registration Scheme (NERS) to design and build new electricity connections in competition with the Distribution Network Operator. ICPs carry out the contestable works (cabling, jointing, ducting, civils, substations), then transfer the finished assets to a DNO or IDNO to own and maintain. Because there are hundreds of accredited ICPs, you can tender the work rather than just accepting the DNO's price.
- What is the difference between a DNO and an IDNO?
- A DNO owns and operates the regional electricity network and is fixed by your location. An IDNO is an Ofgem-licensed operator that owns and runs smaller, newer networks, typically on new developments. IDNOs often pay a capitalised asset value to adopt a new connection, which can reduce your upfront cost because they recover their investment through ongoing distribution charges.
- What is the difference between a gas transporter and an independent gas transporter (IGT)?
- Four regional gas transporters own the main network: Cadent, Northern Gas Networks, SGN and Wales & West Utilities. Independent gas transporters (IGTs) own smaller networks, usually on newer developments. The transporter approves capacity, lays the pipe to your property and issues your MPRN. An IGT-connected site has an MPRN beginning 74, 75, 76 or 77.
- Can I choose my own energy supplier on a new connection?
- Yes. The network handles the physical connection, but your supply contract is separate and fully your choice. We tender the new MPAN and MPRN across our 30+ supplier panel and place a competitive contract from the moment the meter energises, so you avoid an expensive deemed or out-of-contract rate.
- What is an MPAN and an MPRN?
- An MPAN (Meter Point Administration Number) uniquely identifies an electricity supply point; an MPRN (Meter Point Reference Number) is the gas equivalent. On a new connection the network operator issues the number once the works are complete, ahead of the meter being fitted, and the supplier uses it to set up billing.
- Why use a consultancy instead of going direct to the DNO?
- Going direct gives you one price and one programme, with no comparison and no advocacy. A connection involves the network, the ICP or IDNO, your siteworks contractor and the supplier, and they do not coordinate themselves. We scope the capacity, run a competitive tender, coordinate the works to your build programme, and place the supply contract at the end, as one managed project with the margins disclosed.
- How is Purely Energy paid for managing a connection?
- Transparently, with our margin shown as a separate line. For managing the connection we add an uplift, our management margin, to the quote we put together for you, shown on its own rather than buried in a network or construction charge, so you see both what we earn and the underlying competitive prices we tendered. On the ongoing gas and electricity contract we are paid by a commission built into the unit rate (which we state in pence per kWh) or an agreed fee, your choice. Either way every margin is separated, so nothing is hidden.
Electricity connections
- How long does a new electricity connection take?
- Typically 8 to 20 weeks from assessment to live supply. A small, straightforward premises is often around 8 to 12 weeks, a higher-capacity or specialist-metered connection 12 to 16 weeks, and one that needs network reinforcement 16 to 20 weeks or more. Quotation review alone can take 2 to 4 weeks, which is why scoping early matters.
- What are contestable and non-contestable works?
- Non-contestable works can only be done by the network operator: determining the point of connection, designing and building any upstream reinforcement, and the final energisation. That charge is the same whoever you appoint. Contestable works are the parts an accredited ICP or UIP can do in competition, such as cable laying, jointing, ducting, civils and substation installation. Tendering the contestable element is where you save money and time.
- What is the difference between single-phase and three-phase supply?
- Single-phase suits lighter loads, broadly up to around 18 kW, which covers most small commercial units. Three-phase carries roughly three times the power and is needed for heavier machinery, larger premises and most sites with a maximum demand over 100 kVA, which generally also require half-hourly metering. We size this against your actual load so you are neither under-supplied nor paying for unused capacity.
- What is a temporary builders supply?
- A short-term electricity connection installed on a construction site to power tools, welfare units and equipment before the permanent connection is energised. Smaller sites can run single-phase; larger sites with significant plant usually need three-phase. We arrange it and sequence it so it does not clash with the permanent works.
- Do I need a substation?
- Often, if your demand is large. Sites that need more than around 500 kVA typically require a dedicated substation, which adds significantly to cost and programme. Below that you usually connect directly to the existing low-voltage network. We assess this during capacity scoping so there are no surprises in the quote.
- What is Maximum Import Capacity and can I increase it?
- Maximum Import Capacity (MIC) is the agreed maximum power your site can draw. If demand has grown (new machinery, EV charging, expansion) you can apply to increase it, which may need new cables, switchgear or a substation upgrade. We scope the uplift and, where the contestable element allows, tender it rather than defaulting to the network price.
Gas connections
- How long does a new gas connection take?
- Usually around 3 to 5 months end to end where the gas main is close to your boundary, and 5 to 9 months where a longer main extension is needed. The acceptance window after a quote is often up to 90 days, and distance to the main is the dominant driver of both time and cost.
Cost and who pays
- Who pays for a new connection?
- You do, as the connecting customer. Under the Electricity (Connection Charges) Regulations 2022 customers pay a fair proportion of the cost of connecting. There are three separate lines: the network operator's charge, the contestable construction works (paid to whoever you appoint), and the ongoing supply contract. Payment for the network and construction works is normally required before any physical work begins.
- Can I get more than one quote for a new connection?
- Yes, and you should. A DNO quote is usually a dual offer: the DNO does all the works, or it does only the non-contestable works and you appoint an ICP for the rest. You can pass the point of connection to one or more accredited ICPs for competitive quotes, then pick the best combination of price and programme. Running that tender is a core part of what we do.
- How much does a new connection cost?
- It is a stack of separately governed charges, not a single price, and it is driven mainly by capacity, distance to the existing main or network, and whether reinforcement is needed. A small low-voltage connection near the network can be a few thousand pounds; an industrial high-voltage site with a new substation and a long cable route runs into six or seven figures. Treat any range as a planning ballpark and get a formal quotation before budgeting.
- What is usually excluded from a DNO quote?
- Quotes commonly exclude work beyond the network's own scope: your internal electrical installation, the meter itself, private cabling on your side of the connection point, and sometimes elements of the civils. This is a frequent cause of budget overrun, so we read the quote against your full project and price the exclusions before you commit.
Still working it out?
If you are not sure which network owns your area, the network operator lookup tells you in seconds. To vet the firms who will design and build the works, see our guide to UK connection providers and the utility siteworks companies directory. Once the supply is live, place the contract through business energy so the new meter does not sit on a deemed rate, and read non-commodity costs explained to understand what builds the unit rate after connection.
Got a connection to scope?
Tell us the site, the load and the timescale. We confirm the point of connection, tender the contestable works, coordinate the build and place the supply contract, as one managed project with every margin disclosed.
Need to understand the price stack first? See what a new connection costs.