Why DUoS Rates Vary By Region
Tariff StructureDUoS charges reflect each DNO's actual network costs - geography, customer density, and infrastructure age all affect what you pay.
The 14 DNO regions in Great Britain have significantly different DUoS rates because charges are cost-reflective, not standardised nationally.
Factors that drive regional variation:
| Factor | Higher Costs | Lower Costs |
|---|---|---|
| Geography | Rural, mountainous | Urban, flat |
| Customer density | Sparse population | Dense urban areas |
| Network age | Older infrastructure | Recently upgraded |
| Cable type | Underground cables | Overhead lines |
| Weather | Coastal, extreme weather | Sheltered inland |
Practical example: Scottish Hydro (SSEH) serves the Highlands with long cable runs between small communities. UKPN London serves dense urban areas with short connections. SSEH's costs per customer are naturally higher.
This explains why the same business type can pay 30-50% more for DUoS in Scotland than in London for identical consumption.
DNO ownership groups:
- SSEN (SSE): SSEH (North Scotland), SSES (Central Southern)
- UKPN (UK Power Networks): Eastern, London, South Eastern
- WPD (National Grid): East/West Midlands, South Wales, South West
- NPG (Northern Powergrid): North East, Yorkshire
- ENWL (Electricity North West): North West
- SPEN (SP Energy Networks): SP Distribution (Central/Southern Scotland), SP Manweb (Merseyside/North Wales)
Related terms
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