Northern Ireland Electricity Networks

Explore our Northern Ireland Electricity Network UK case study to see how we collaborated with industry experts to address critical regulatory challenges, identify overcharges, and deliver outcomes that protected consumers and upheld transparency.

What the Client Needed?

Northern Ireland Electricity Network Ltd (NIEN) and the Utility Regulator required expert assistance to investigate inconsistencies in NIEN’s capitalisation practices. The goal was to determine whether these practices had resulted in financial detriment to consumers and to provide a robust basis for regulatory decisions. The investigation required project management, drafting key reports, and collaborative investigation.

How we Helped them?

Forensic Accounting

MCC led a major piece of this project in Northern Ireland, alongside an engineering consultancy (SKM) and a financial consultancy (PKF, now BDO), with regards to inconsistencies in Northern Ireland Electricity Network Ltd (NIEN’s) capitalisation practices. Our contributions to this project included:

  • Project Leadership: Managing the end-to-end investigation process, ensuring seamless collaboration among all stakeholders.
  • Regulatory Support: Drafting actionable reports for the Utility Regulator board, providing clear and evidence-based recommendations.
  • Expert Analysis: Working with engineers, economists, and legal advisors to uncover inconsistencies and quantify consumer impact.
  • Advocacy for Consumer Interests: Supporting the Utility Regulator’s efforts to adjust NIEN’s valuation, ensuring fairness and accountability in the energy market.

Through this work, MCC demonstrated its ability to navigate complex regulatory challenges and deliver impactful solutions that safeguard consumer interests.

I was delighted that MCC's work was completed on time, and within budget, helping us deliver important changes and improvements, to the benefit of our stakeholders. ​ MCC's report is published on the CCC website.

- Bea Natzler
Team Leader at Climate Change Committee, UK

I am delighted to recommend MCC Economics. Specifically, I worked closely with PJ, who helped us with our Nuclear and CCUS projects. PJ helped us develop new policies and answer questions from our stakeholders. ​​His support helped us deliver important changes and improvements, to the benefit of our stakeholders.

- Gordon Hutcheson
Head of Nuclear Policy at Ofgem, UK

MCC Economics has helped us better understand the most important issues for our stakeholders, including: charges, shareholder returns, debt payments and inflation impacts.

- Leila N. Nasr
Section Head at Department of Energy, Abu Dhabi