UK updates Utilities Act for energy aid data sharing

A small but important change to energy law is on the way. From 16 March 2026, the Utilities Act 2000 (Amendment of Section 105) Order 2026-Statutory Instrument 2026/149-adjusts the rules on who can share information to run energy price support schemes. It was made on 19 February and laid before Parliament on 23 February, according to legislation.gov.uk. We break down what it does and why it matters for you.

If you have ever wondered why public support can be slow to arrive, one reason is data. People working on a scheme often hold the right information but are not always allowed to pass it on. Section 105 of the Utilities Act 2000 sets a general restriction on disclosing information obtained under energy laws. That protects confidentiality, but it can block the practical steps needed to pay help quickly and accurately.

So what is a statutory instrument? It is a piece of secondary legislation: ministers use it to update detailed rules without passing a brand-new Act. There is a set rhythm to this-first it is “made” (signed by the minister), then “laid” before Parliament so MPs and peers can scrutinise it, and finally it “comes into force” on a specified date. This Order follows that pattern: made on 19 February 2026, laid on 23 February, in force on 16 March.

The change here is precise. Article 2 inserts two new limbs-labelled (aca) and (acb)-into Section 105(3). In short, information can be disclosed when it helps the Secretary of State perform functions under section 13 of the Energy Prices Act 2022, or helps any person carry out functions created by regulations made under section 19 of that Act. This is about enabling delivery teams to do the jobs Parliament has already given them.

A second gateway is added for directions. If someone is subject to a direction issued under section 22 of the Energy Prices Act 2022, they may disclose information to comply with that direction. Think of this as the law saying: if we have told you to deliver a support task using these emergency powers, you can share the information you genuinely need to meet that instruction.

Crucially, this is not a free‑for‑all with your data. The disclosure must be for those specific statutory purposes. Unauthorised disclosure under Section 105 can still be an offence, and data protection duties remain in place. What changes is that the law now carves out a narrow, lawful route for information to move where a support scheme cannot function without it.

What kind of information are we talking about? In practice it could include names and addresses to check eligibility, meter identifiers to match accounts, or payment records between suppliers and public bodies. The Order does not list datasets or create new databases; it simply opens a clear legal gateway so the right organisations can pass the right data at the right moment.

The territorial scope also matters. The Order extends to England and Wales and Scotland-so it applies across Great Britain. Northern Ireland runs its own energy arrangements, so similar measures there would proceed through separate legal instruments.

For those tracking public administration, the Explanatory Note on legislation.gov.uk states that no full impact assessment was produced because no, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary or public sector is foreseen. That tells us this is a targeted legal fix, not a new spending promise or a wholesale policy shift.

If you are teaching this, a simple classroom exercise helps: map the ‘data journey’ for a support payment. A customer’s details are verified, a supplier or public body confirms eligibility, funds are approved, and records are kept for audit. This Order is the small legal switch that lets those steps happen without tripping the disclosure restriction in Section 105. For learners, the takeaway is clear: law sets the rules for who may see what, and sometimes those rules need a modest tweak so help reaches people on time.