UK non-commodity charge · Settlement and smart metering · Electricity
Imbalance system charge
Latest published rate, who sets it, and where it is forecast to go.
What Imbalance system charge is, who sets the rate, what the revenue funds and where it is heading. Rates come from the Purely Energy non-commodity cost data hub; forecasts are our own.
Imbalance system charge: what it is, who charges it, and what it pays for
What it is
The Imbalance system charge charge in plain English
Recovers a supplier's share of the electricity imbalance (cash-out) settlement run by Elexon under the Balancing and Settlement Code. It is not a fixed published tariff: imbalance prices are calculated for every half hour from the balancing actions NESO takes, so any pence-per-kWh figure on a bill is the supplier's own allowance for the cost, not a rate set by Elexon.
Introduced 2001 (NETA/BSC).
Who charges it
The body that sets the rate
Elexon
Unit
p/kWh
Applies to
All electricity supplies
What it pays for
Where the revenue ends up
Electricity imbalance settlement system
Published rate history
| Financial year | Rate | Year on year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020/21 | 0.00080p/kWh | - | Published |
| 2021/22 | 0.00120p/kWh | +50.0% | Published |
| 2022/23 | 0.00150p/kWh | +25.0% | Published |
| 2023/24 | 0.00100p/kWh | -33.3% | Published |
| 2024/25 | 0.00090p/kWh | -10.0% | Published |
| 2025/26 | 0.00100p/kWh | +11.1% | Published |
Forecast trajectory
Forecasts from our non-commodity cost model. P10, P50 and P90 are the 10th, 50th and 90th percentile outcomes; P50 is the central estimate.
| Year | P10 | P50 | P90 | Confidence | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | - | 0.00100 | - | - | |
| 2027 | - | 0.00110 | - | - | |
| 2028 | - | 0.00110 | - | - | |
| 2029 | - | 0.00110 | - | - | |
| 2030 | - | 0.00120 | - | - | |
| 2031 | - | 0.00122 | - | - | |
| 2031-32 | 0.00110 | 0.00120 | 0.00130 | high | CPI inflation (2.0%) from 2030-31 anchor of 0.0012 p/kWh. OBR CPI forecast applied. |
| 2032 | - | 0.00125 | - | - | |
| 2032-33 | 0.00110 | 0.00120 | 0.00140 | high | CPI inflation (2.0%) from 2030-31 anchor of 0.0012 p/kWh. OBR CPI forecast applied. |
| 2033 | - | 0.00127 | - | - | |
| 2033-34 | 0.00110 | 0.00130 | 0.00150 | med | CPI inflation (2.0%) from 2030-31 anchor of 0.0012 p/kWh. OBR CPI forecast applied. |
| 2034 | - | 0.00130 | - | - | |
| 2034-35 | 0.00110 | 0.00130 | 0.00150 | med | CPI inflation (2.0%) from 2030-31 anchor of 0.0012 p/kWh. OBR CPI forecast applied. |
Imbalance system charge FAQs
What is the Imbalance system charge charge?
Recovers a supplier's share of the electricity imbalance (cash-out) settlement run by Elexon under the Balancing and Settlement Code. It is not a fixed published tariff: imbalance prices are calculated for every half hour from the balancing actions NESO takes, so any pence-per-kWh figure on a bill is the supplier's own allowance for the cost, not a rate set by Elexon.
Who sets the Imbalance system charge rate?
The Imbalance system charge rate is set by Elexon.
What does Imbalance system charge pay for?
Imbalance system charge revenue supports Electricity imbalance settlement system.
What is the latest published Imbalance system charge rate?
For 2025/26, the published Imbalance system charge rate is 0.00100 p/kWh.
What is the Imbalance system charge forecast?
Our latest forecast for 2026 is 0.00100 p/kWh.
Related charges in Settlement and smart metering
Calculate your Imbalance system charge exposure
Enter an MPAN or postcode plus kWh/kVA to see Imbalance system charge alongside every other non-commodity line item for this year and next.
Flexible contracts and pass-through costs
How we manage non-commodity exposure for I&C buyers who need to stress-test contract decisions.
All UK energy charges
Browse every non-commodity charge with the latest published rates and forecast trajectory.
Rate data from the Purely Energy non-commodity cost data hub (dh.purelyenergy.co.uk). Published rates come from statutory publications by the body listed above; forecasts are modelled from published guidance and market trends, so treat P50 as a central estimate and use P10/P90 for sensitivity. Primary source