Guidance

Asset visibility installer obligation

Published 4 November 2026

Factsheet relating to the Energy Independence Bill.

Summary

The measure creates a clear obligation for installers of distributed energy assets, such as electric vehicle charge points, heat pumps, solar PV and domestic batteries, to register installations with Distribution Network Operators (DNOs). Registration gives network companies better visibility of these assets, enabling cost-effective planning and operation of the electricity system, and providing trusted data needed to maximise consumer-led flexibility.

Why are we legislating?

More and more consumers are installing electric vehicle chargepoints, heat pumps, batteries and solar panels, to make the most of clean power and reduce their reliance on fossil fuels.

It is understood that less than 40% of these distributed energy assets are currently being registered with DNOs. Low asset registration reduces the quality of the data that DNOs hold, which leads to less certainty over network planning, and increased costs of reinforcement and system operation. This also reduces the opportunities for assets to participate in consumer-led flexibility, which gives consumers the choice to benefit from lower electricity bills for activities that decarbonise our energy system.

Existing requirements to register with DNOs are unclear and fragmented, and enforcement regimes are ineffective. This measure will clarify registration requirements for installers, and establish an effective, proportionate enforcement regime.

The government engaged with industry on this topic through a call for evidence^{[footnote 1]} and subsequent response^{[footnote 2]} in 2025.

What are the government’s objectives with this measure?

High quality, standardised asset registration data is essential for operating a smarter, more flexible electricity system. This measure supports the integration of flexible consumer assets that maximise clean, renewable energy, and the low carbon technologies that decarbonise our critical sectors. Improving visibility of distributed energy assets is a pre-requisite to delivering homegrown clean energy we control.

Improving DNO visibility of assets installed will also have a positive impact on consumers - the data enables DNOs to plan investments more effectively and forecast demand more accurately, reducing the overall system costs of reinforcing and operating the network that are passed onto consumer bills. Finally, the measure is part of the government’s drive to digitalise and modernise the energy system. As set out in the Energy Digitalisation Framework, our goal is to deliver a framework for digitalisation that enables this transformation - giving consumers more choice, supporting decarbonisation through system efficiency, security and resilience, and creating the right environment for innovation and economic growth.

This measure aims to drive increased rates of asset registration with DNOs, and increase the quality and completeness of the data that they hold. It aims to ensure that obligations on installers to register distributed energy assets with DNOs are clear, proportionate, future-proofed, and enforceable.

How will this measure deliver these objectives?

The measure provides enabling powers for the Secretary of State to make regulations to require installers of distributed energy assets to register installations with DNOs, and establish an appropriate monitoring and enforcement regime. Further details on the overall regime will be set out in secondary legislation.

Improved asset visibility enables better network utilisation through improved planning, forecasting and management of constraints, and network reinforcement investment decisions.

Based on estimates of low-voltage network headroom levels, DESNZ analysis indicates that, if improved information enabled DNOs to increase utilisation of existing low-voltage network capacity by just one percentage point, this could avoid between £240 million and £571 million of network investment costs by 2050.^{[footnote 3]} The measure is part of a wider programme to simplify and streamline registration processes, reducing administrative burdens while enabling consumers to benefit from greater participation in flexibility services.

1. DESNZ (2025) ‘Improving the visibility of distributed energy assets: call for evidence’ ↩

2. DESNZ (2025) ‘Improving the visibility of distributed energy assets: government response’ ↩

3. Internal DESNZ analysis using the Distribution Network Model, using a reference scenario with updated regional low voltage headroom estimates. Network headroom is the available capacity within the distribution network to accommodate additional demand or generation without requiring reinforcement. Thermal headroom is the difference between peak demand and the safe operating limit, or firm capacity, of network components. For example, 80% headroom means that 80% of the relevant network capacity is unused at the demand peak. The values are illustrative and should not be assumed to be fully realised as a result of the proposed intervention. ↩