More than four in five UK logistics businesses (82.8%) lack the grid capacity required to electrify their operations, and industry leaders say recent Budget announcements barely scratch the surface.
In a major new report titled Grid Access for Growth, the Grid Users Coalition, bringing together twelve major bodies including Logistics UK, the Road Haulage Association (RHA), and ChargeUK, warns that while energy-intensive manufacturers and strategic data centres received targeted support, commercial depots and charging hubs are still stuck in decade-long connection queues.
The coalition’s findings paint a stark picture for commercial transport: operators face wait times of up to 10 years for grid upgrades, with connection quotes routinely jumping by 300% to 400% between initial estimates and final sign-off.
Rather than asking for taxpayer handouts, the coalition has written to the Energy Secretary and Ofgem outlining five practical, low-cost reforms: locking in fixed connection prices, opening up transparent queue data down to 1 MVA, enforcing strict network milestones, expanding self-build rights, and rolling out standardised flexible connections so fleets can power up without waiting years for copper in the ground.
John: Framed the 82.8% shortfall as a long-standing issue where fleet electrification demand has clearly outstripped the National Grid's historical investment.
Sara: Called the situation a crisis and "not cricket," noting that fleets and logistics operators are being encouraged to install high-powered connections for electric trucks and large vans only to be bumped down the queue by data centres. Advised operators to stand their ground, get into the queue early, and ensure projects are "shovel ready" so they aren't dismissed as "zombie projects".