The UK public spending watchdog warns that the government’s £70bn programme to upgrade the electricity transmission network is off track, and that failing to speed up implementation could increase costs for households. The National Audit Office (NAO) says extra expenses linked to managing an ageing power system could rise to £7.8bn per year by 2030 if the modernisation is not delivered faster.
The NAO urges ministers to be more transparent about risks to consumer bills and the timetable for delivery. It also links the upgrade programme to wider progress in switching to renewables by enabling the electricity system to accommodate cleaner generation. Across outlets, the emphasis is on schedule and cost overruns, including concerns that limited “big-picture” information makes it difficult to assess how far behind the programme is and what the eventual financial impact will be.
While the watchdog calls for clearer communication of the scale of potential costs, reporting also notes that multiple bodies oversee parts of the programme and publish information, but may not provide a single, comprehensive assessment of overall delivery and risk.
