Consultation on revised gas licence fee methodology - gas storage

Overview

Today we are publishing a consultation, which proposes to amend the 2016 licence fee methodologies document to include gas storage.

Licensed utility companies in Northern Ireland are required to pay an annual fee under the terms of their licence. The actual mechanism by which such a fee is determined, is as outlined in our licence fee methodologies, the latest version of which was published in September 2016.

In relation to gas licensees, the 2016 methodology allows for licence fees for supply and conveyances licences, but not for storage licences. 

Today (29 April 2022) we are launching a consultation to amend the licence fee methodology to introduce an annual fee of £2,000 (to increase annually with the Retail Price Index ) for gas storage. There is currenly only one gas storage licensee – Islandmagee Energy Limited. This fee would similarly apply to any future gas storage licensees.

We anticipate the introduction of this fee to apply from 1 April 2022 onwards.

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