UK publishes Load Control Licence conditions, covering cyber security and fair exit
Serguey Asael Shinder1 min readThe UK government published on 2 November the standard licence conditions for the new Load Control Licence, the regime that will govern companies sending signals to energy smart appliances such as heat pumps, chargers and batteries. The conditions were published ahead of the Electricity Act 1989 (Load Control Licence) Regulations 2027, which the government says will be laid before Parliament later this year.
The document is split into three sections. Conditions that apply to every licensee cover operational capability, a financial responsibility principle, an ongoing fit and proper requirement, the provision of information to the regulator and the Secretary of State, and a principle to be open and cooperative. Conditions for load controllers, the companies that construct and send the control signals, add compliance with industry codes, a cyber assurance framework with independent assurance reviews aligned with the NIS approach, and a load control check.
A third section applies to flexibility service providers, the companies that sign up customers to consumer-led flexibility. They must treat customers fairly, recommend suitable services and not mis-sell, allow customers to leave a service, and keep any fees tied to leaving proportionate. The draft conditions were consulted on from 10 December 2025 to 18 February 2026, and the government response came on 7 August 2026.
What it means
The licence turns the control of household load into a regulated activity with the same tools Great Britain uses for suppliers: fit and proper tests, information powers and conduct rules. The cyber section is the novel part, because a compromised controller could move many appliances at once, which is why the conditions put independent assurance on the companies that send the signals rather than only on the devices.