Ofwat approves wholesaler-only data cleanse charging framework

Ofwat has approved a change to the retail market rules that will enable funding for a central data cleanse to be collected exclusively from wholesalers.

• Under the current arrangements, all market operator charges are split between wholesalers and retailers. Change CPM050 to the Market Arrangements Code will create a new framework, specifically relating to data cleanse charging, whereby wholesalers only will fund work to: identify and remove non-eligible, demolished and duplicate supply points in the Central Market Operating System; and

• pilot a Unique Property Reference Number cleanse, a Valuation Office Agency billing authority reference numbers cleanse, and a pilot for an address data cleanse with wholesalers. If successful, these would be widely implemented in Q4 2023/24.

The funding raised by this new charge will be in place until the end of the 2025/26 financial year and will be dependent on MOSL members' yearly approval of the MOSL business plan.

Four wholesalers were against the creation of this charging framework when it was consulted on in January.