Most discussed non-commodity costs of 2026: What do you need to know? 

Non-commodity costs are gaining prominence in energy discussions for a reason; these charges can account for as much as 60% of business energy bills. 

If you have not heard of non-commodity costs before, your energy bill is made up of two elements: The wholesale cost of the electricity and gas you use – the commodity cost – and non-commodity costs, also known as third party charges.

Recently, you may have seen some specific non-commodity charges discussed more often than others. Let’s talk about three of them.

Transmission Network Use of System (TNUoS) charges

Charged from all suppliers and generators, TNUoS covers installations and maintenance in the transmission system in England, Wales, Scotland and offshore.

TNUoS tariffs are payable by all licensed generators and suppliers for the use of transmission networks in Great Britain. The cost of these tariffs is then passed to consumers as TNUoS charges, which are reflected in the non-commodity element of your electricity bill.

For the April ‘26 to March ‘27 period, TNUoS costs increased from £3.97bn in ‘25/26 to £6.38bn – a 61% increase.

The main drivers of this increase are the allowed revenues from onshore and offshore transmission owners, and interconnector contributions increasing by c.£1bn.

Moreover, there are other localised influences, combined with an overall drop in consumption leading to higher rates as fixed costs are recovered over a lower volume, along with the impact of the Review of Electricity Market Arrangements (REMA) decision not to pursue zonal pricing for energy.

Nuclear Regulated Asset Base (RAB)

The Nuclear RAB is designed to support design, construction, commissioning and operation costs of new nuclear projects – starting with Sizewell C.

All suppliers are required to fund the Nuclear RAB arrangements through the Supplier Obligation mechanism – which also funds the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme – based on their market share.

The cost of the Nuclear RAB mechanism is reflected in the non-commodity element of your electricity bill, but the practicalities depend on your supplier and contract type.

Nuclear RAB rates are updated quarterly – in April 2026 the rate is set to increase to £4.6830/MWh from the £3.6630/MWh of Q1 2026.

EII Support Levy

The government introduced the Network Charging Compensation (NCC) scheme in 2023, offering support to Energy Intensive Industries (EIIs) by providing compensation on eligible network charges.

This reimbursement is funded by a levy on all licensed electricity suppliers in Great Britain, known as the EII Support Levy. In turn, the levy is transferred to non-domestic consumers as an extra charge on their electricity bills.

On 31 October 2025, Department for Business and Trade committed to uplifting the level of relief offered to EIIs through the NCC scheme from 60% to 90%. In turn, this uplift will be reflected by increasing the EII Support Levy from 1 April 2027.

How can Inspired help?

The impact of non-commodity costs depends on your portfolio, and the only way to reduce them is through your energy use.

Inspired offers comprehensive support on mitigating the impacts of rising non-commodity rates on your billing, from identifying ways to reduce your consumption to optimising usage and scrutinising your billing.

Our experts continuously review any changes to specific non-commodity charges, and we can also help you bolster your non-commodities knowledge with an estimated forecast.

If you would like to delve deeper and find out how non-commodity costs have been applied to your billing, our forensic energy cost audit can scrutinise your present and past invoices line by line for past errors and ongoing savings.

Ultimately, taking control over when and how you use power is key to mitigating the impacts of non-commodity costs.

By improving your data collection and visibility, reducing your consumption and eliminating wastage, you can reduce the impact of non-commodity costs. Inspired can help your organisation use less energy, lower your costs and reduce your emissions.