Office of Gas and Electricity Markets

Who we are Ofgem stands for the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets. We are the energy regulator for Great Britain. Our role is to protect the interests of energy consumers. We are a non-ministerial government department. That means that we are headed by a senior civil servant instead of a minister. We work with energy companies, consumer groups, charities, government, and the National Energy System Operator on a clean, fair, secure energy system. What we do We regulate the energy markets. Energy companies need licences to take part in the energy markets and networks. These licences set the rules on how companies should make, transport and sell energy. This includes how much companies can charge for energy and how customers are treated. We write these rules, monitor how energy companies operate and take action when they do not follow the rules. As part of our duty, we also consider how the UK economy is affected by any decisions we make. We will continue to support sustainable economic growth in the energy sector by improving investment, productivity and stability in the long term. We work with government departments, the National Energy System Operator, the energy industry, and others to achieve net zero by 2050. Net zero is a government policy that we should not produce more greenhouse gases than we can remove. Our role is to make sure that the energy system can move from fossil fuels to clean energy sources and use technologies such as carbon storage in an effective and efficient way. Our rules and guidelines support economic growth, net zero and innovation. For example, by making investments in clean energy projects more attractive. We also administer environmental and social schemes on behalf of the government.