At a glance
The short answer: the proposal is about backup import capacity
Ofgem is consulting on rules that would let National Gas recover the cost of keeping extra gas-import capability available between Great Britain and continental Europe. Its impact assessment estimates a cost of £1.19 per domestic gas meter account per year over a five-year agreement. That is just under 10p a month, or £5.95 if the estimate remained the same for all five years.
This is not a new bill arriving from Ofgem and it is not a charge that households must pay separately today. The consultation closes on 20 November 2026. Ofgem says it intends to publish a final decision in late 2026 or early 2027, after considering responses.
The proposal applies to gas consumers in England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland has its own gas market and regulator, and is outside the Great Britain licence changes covered by this consultation.
What Ofgem is proposing to change
National Gas operates Great Britain’s high-pressure gas transmission network. Ofgem has allowed it to enter an agreement with Interconnector Limited, which operates the pipeline between Great Britain and Belgium. The agreement is intended to prevent a further reduction in import capability and support investment that keeps that capability available over five winters.
A separate regulatory step is still needed before National Gas can recover the agreement’s costs from consumers. Ofgem is therefore consulting on changes to National Gas’s licence and financial rules. The proposed mechanism would cover qualifying payments under interconnector agreements, plus eligible administration and delivery costs, with regulatory oversight and annual reconciliation.
Ofgem says the existing approvals do not settle the consultation in advance. If it decides not to make the licence modification, payments cannot be made under the agreement and the parties can ultimately terminate it. The useful distinction is that the import-capability agreement has been approved, but consumer cost recovery is not yet final.
Put the £1.19 estimate into household-bill terms
The estimate is per domestic gas meter account, not per person and not per unit of gas used. Dividing £1.19 by 12 gives about 9.9p a month. Multiplying £1.19 by the proposed five-year term gives £5.95 in total. Those calculations explain the scale; they do not turn Ofgem’s assessment into a guaranteed final charge.
Ofgem says costs would be recovered from gas consumers through the gas General Non-Transmission Services charge. A household should not assume that “£1.19 interconnector charge” will appear as a separate line on a retail bill. Network and system costs can feed into the prices suppliers recover through tariffs, while the price cap limits rates on default tariffs in Great Britain.
Do not add £1.19 to a current bill or change the rate in the gas bill calculator. For a present-day check, use the unit rate and standing charge printed on the tariff or statement. Our October 2026 gas price-cap guide explains the current Great Britain averages and why an individual tariff can differ.
| Period | Calculation | Illustrative amount |
|---|---|---|
| One month | £1.19 ÷ 12 | About 9.9p |
| One year | Ofgem estimate | £1.19 |
| Five years | £1.19 × 5 | £5.95 |
These figures restate Ofgem’s impact-assessment estimate. The licence decision and actual tariff treatment are not final.
Why keep gas import capability that is used only occasionally?
Gas interconnectors are undersea pipelines that can move gas between Great Britain and markets in Belgium and the Netherlands. The commercial market decides whether gas actually flows. The proposal preserves the technical option to import; it does not buy gas, reserve a fixed volume or guarantee that gas will be available.
Ofgem’s consultation says reductions in continental interconnector capability will have removed about 60 million cubic metres a day of market access by winter 2026/27. It describes that as roughly 15% of the peak-demand assumption used in its analysis. Domestic production from the UK Continental Shelf is also declining, although annual gas demand has fallen.
Under normal circumstances, Ofgem expects the Great Britain gas system to meet demand. The concern is a much rarer combination: exceptionally high demand on a one-in-20 cold-weather day and the loss of the single largest piece of gas infrastructure. Keeping import capability available is a resilience measure for that low-probability, high-impact case, not evidence that ordinary winter supply is expected to fail.
Who could pay, and who is outside the proposal?
Ofgem’s press release says the expected cost applies to domestic gas customers and that customers who do not use gas would not be charged through this mechanism. The published estimate is framed per domestic gas meter account, so it should not be multiplied by the number of people in a home.
The licence consultation expressly covers Great Britain: England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland’s Utility Regulator reviews regulated gas tariffs in its separate market. This proposal should therefore not be presented as a UK-wide household gas charge.
The proposal is also separate from the government plan to remove household gas standing charges. The gas standing-charge guide covers that planned reform. One announcement does not cancel or confirm the other, and the interconnector consultation does not set a new household unit rate.
What happens before any cost reaches a tariff
Ofgem’s consultation is open until 20 November 2026. It asks whether respondents agree with the licence and financial-instrument changes and invites further comments. Ofgem then plans to review and publish responses before making a final decision in late 2026 or early 2027. Any licence modification would follow the relevant implementation and appeal periods.
Households do not need to contact their supplier, change tariff or submit a meter reading because of this consultation. The practical action is simply to keep using the actual rates on the bill. If a future tariff changes, compare the complete unit rate, standing charge, payment method and any exit fee rather than looking for one small system-cost component in isolation.
If a bill is already difficult to afford, do not wait for this decision. Contact the supplier and ask for an affordable plan. The help paying a gas bill guide explains current support routes, while the fixed-versus-variable guide shows how to compare an offered tariff using annual kWh.
- Now: Ofgem is receiving consultation responses.
- 20 November 2026: the consultation closes.
- Late 2026 or early 2027: Ofgem intends to publish its decision.
- After a decision: any licence changes must pass the applicable implementation and appeal periods.
Frequently asked questions
Is the £1.19 gas interconnector charge already on my bill?
Not as a new confirmed charge from this proposal. Ofgem is consulting on the cost-recovery rules. Use the unit rate and standing charge shown on your current tariff when checking a bill.
Will every person in a household pay £1.19?
No. Ofgem’s estimate is £1.19 per domestic gas meter account per year, not per resident. It is an impact-assessment estimate rather than a final separately billed amount.
Does the proposal apply in Northern Ireland?
No. The consultation covers National Gas’s licence in Great Britain—England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland has a separate gas market and Utility Regulator.
Does maintaining the interconnector guarantee more gas?
No. It preserves technical import capability. Ofgem says it does not procure gas or guarantee that gas will be available or flow; market participants would still need to obtain and move it.
Should I switch gas tariff because of the proposal?
Not because of this proposal alone. No final household tariff change has been set. Compare current offers using your annual kWh, unit rate, standing charge, payment method and any exit fee.
Sources
Rates and rules checked on 10 November 2026. Time-sensitive figures should be checked again before use.