WPD has now submitted its RIIO-ED2 business plan for 2023 to 2028 to the industry regulator, Ofgem.  This plan has evolved over the past 24 months, derived from WPD’s extensive knowledge of the network it operates in combination with significant and extensive stakeholder and customer engagement and Customer Engagement Group (CEG) scrutiny and challenge.  WPD proposes to keep the lights on and much more through actions to fulfil the needs of current and future generations, and respond to the changing environment required to meet the UK’s net zero targets.

Ofgem asked WPD, and the other distribution businesses, to set up independent Customer Engagement Groups to give customers a stronger voice in the regulatory process.  We will report to Ofgem in January 2022 on the extent to which WPD’s business plan reflects and will meet the needs of customers today and in the future. Our report will build on the robust feedback we have provided to WPD throughout the process, though open letters and our report on WPD’s draft plan in July 2021 (which we provided to the RIIO-2 Challenge Group ) on the remaining gaps we felt WPD needed to close to ensure its final plan was appropriate and well-justified. 

Established in March 2019, the  Customer Engagement Group has closely scrutinised the development of WPD’s business plan. Both the regulator and WPD tell us that the draft plan submitted in July 2021 was improved on previous versions because of our challenge.  We have maintained that focus right up to the submission of the final business plan by WPD and will continue to engage with Ofgem as they assess WPD’s plan, to ensure they gain benefit from our in depth scrutiny and learnings through to the final determination they will make in November 2022. 

In spring 2022, the CEG will participate in the RIIO-ED2 Open Hearings hosted by Ofgem, to give evidence on various aspects of WPD’s business plan.