Enforcement

Our powers to make companies comply with energy market rules, following our enforcement guidelines.

How we enforce rules for energy markets

We investigate companies we think might have breached licence conditions or regulations we enforce.

We have decision-makers independent to investigators who decide whether a company has breached rules and what penalty they should face.

Read about enforcement decisions on Our leadership.

Energy market laws that we enforce

Energy licence conditions

We can penalise companies up to 10% of turnover, make consumer redress orders and issue orders for breaches of conditions and relevant requirements such as the renewables obligation. We have these powers under the Gas Act 1986, the Electricity Act 1989, and the Energy Act 2023.

Read Fines and redress payments.

Cybersecurity

We can penalise companies and issue enforcement notices for failures and contraventions under the Network and Information Systems Regulations 2018.

Wholesale energy trading

We enforce against market manipulation, insider trading and other wholesale energy regulation breaches. We can issue unlimited fines and impose prison sentences under the Regulation on wholesale Energy Market Integrity and Transparency (REMIT).

Read about REMIT's obligation on Regulating energy trading.

Competition

We can impose directions and penalties of up to 10% of turnover for infringing the Competition Act 1998 on anti-competitive agreements and abusing dominant positions.