The Independent Stakeholder Group (ISG) (previously called the CEG and CSEG) has been set up to challenge us as we shape and deliver our business plans. They played an important role in the development of our current RIIO-GD2 business plans, providing feedback and challenge throughout the planning process. Their assessment of our final plan is included in the Final CEG Report.
We will shortly be embarking on our business planning for RIIO-GD3, our next regulatory price control period, starting in April 2026.
The group is chaired by Maxine Frerk, who brings with her a wealth of experience from her 15 years at Ofgem. Most recently, Maxine was a member of Ofgem’s executive board, responsible for all aspects of regulation of the gas and electricity distribution networks.
To reflect the different needs and perspectives of local stakeholders in both our network areas, Maxine is joined by a range of stakeholder experts from across Scotland and the south of England, reflecting specialisms such as customer research, business users, future consumers and vulnerable customers. Together, the group ensures that we capture and act on the views of a range of customer and stakeholder groups in developing our current and future business planning. If you’d like to contact the ISG, please email engagement@sgn.co.uk.
Documents and information
Maxine Frerk was at Ofgem for 15 years including as Senior Partner for Networks where she was responsible for all aspects of network regulation including leading the RIIO ED1 price control and subsequent CMA appeal.
Prior to joining Ofgem she was Head of Regulation at BT. Since leaving Ofgem she has been working as a consultant and thought leader in the energy sector, with a particular interest in consumer and environmental issues.
She chairs SGN’s Customer and Stakeholder Engagement Group and sits on the equivalent groups for SSEN Transmission and Distribution. She chairs a number of other groups including the ENA’s Open Networks Challenge Group and two Ofgem innovation funding panels.
She writes regularly in Utility Week and is an Associate with the charity Sustainability First. She has a degree in maths and management science from Cambridge University and an MBA from Cranfield.
Dr Lucy McTernan has a thirty-year career in voluntary sector leadership, including as chief executive of Citizens Advice Scotland and of the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations.
She has served as a grant-maker with the Big Lottery Fund and currently co-chairs Scotland’s Open Government Partnership and is a civil society representative on the OGP global steering committee.
During a full career in the Gas industry, Eddie worked for British Gas & Transco before setting up a utility consultancy business “Lafferty Associates” in 2003.
Previous roles ranged from Industrial Gas Engineer negotiating Firm & Interruptible gas contracts with large energy users to managing Sales & Marketing departments for British Gas to Public/Corporate Affairs Manager with Transco.
Completed a 6-year term as a Director of Energy Action Scotland and was a member of the first Scottish Gov Fuel Poverty Advisory Group. One of the most rewarding experiences was setting up and directing a successful Warm Zone in Redcar.
Specific areas of interest other than fuel poverty are in Biomethane, decarbonisation and reduction of GHG from road transport to I&C projects.
Rosie McGlynn is the Founder and Director of Mentone Energy Consultancy Ltd and has over twenty years’ experience in the energy sector. Rosie has worked for three of the major utilities, E.ON Energy, EDF Energy and Centrica in roles in retail energy regulation, smart metering commercial and policy design.
In the early 2010’s Rosie led Energy UK’s Smart Metering Programme which involved liaising between the energy retailers and Ofgem, DECC/BEIS, other trade associations, European and International standards bodies.
In the mid 2010’s Rosie led the development of Energy UK’s strategic engagement with the UK Government and Ofgem on the transformations needed to decarbonise the power, heat and transport sectors. This included representing the UK energy retailers at European Market Design Working Groups.
In 2018, Rosie set up her own renewable energy consultancy business Mentone Energy Consultancy Ltd to drive forward smart local energy system projects, examples include Smart Fintry, Perth & Kinross Council Smart Energy Network and the BEIS/Canada Power Forward Challenge.
In 2021 Uswitch appointed Rosie to become a member of the inaugural Green Tariff Panel.
Matt is the Head of Policy and Public affairs at National Energy Action, having worked there for over three years. His work to ensure that the energy market results in affordable energy for low-income households has included lobbying on the response to the current energy crisis, and before that, shaping energy schemes such as the Warm Home Discount.
He has led NEA’s work to ensure that both RIIO GD2, and RIIO ED2, work in the best interests for consumers, through working directly with Ofgem, and sitting on the Cadent CEG and SGN SAP. He has now joined the SGN CSEG group.
Prior to NEA, Matt worked as a Policy Manager at EON, where he worked on issues across the spectrum, including retail market regulation, renewables markets, and electricity network price controls. He has a bachelor’s degree from Durham University in Natural Sciences.
Martin is an independent consultant specialising in regulation, strategy and utilities with extensive recent experience in the UK energy and water sectors.
In particular he has advised to water and electricity distribution in relation to their recent price controls and other regulatory matters. He spent 10 years with Anglian Water, as Head of Regulatory Strategy leading two price control submissions. Before that, he worked as a consultant specialising in business strategy, policy and regulation across utility sectors, including electricity, gas, water and transport.
He has particular expertise on regulatory finance, customer engagement and incentives. He has also worked with the water regulator Ofwat, supporting its work on financial resilience, governance and strategy.
Between 2014 and 2017 Martin oversaw implementation of the new non-household retail water market, establishing the new market operating company and was director responsible for market codes, market implementation and industry readiness.
Martin was a member of the Customer Engagement Group for Cadent Gas until December 2021. He is a Chartered accountant with a background in economics.
Syed has close to 20 years working in the sustainable energy industry, in a wide variety of roles and organisations ranging from Friends of the Earth, the Combined Heat and Power Association, the Greater London Authority, Arup, and as a director of a trade association working in the insulation sector.
Syed established Energy for London, an independent think tank supporting London’s progress to becoming a low-carbon city. In 2014, he was seconded into the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) undertaking a review of linkages across the Government’s demand side policies.
He is also a Director of the Parliamentary Renewable and Sustainable Energy Group (PRASEG), a Trustee for national fuel poverty organisation National Energy Action (NEA), and a policy advisor to the Green Gas Certification Scheme.
In 2015 he produced a report on the opportunities for green infrastructure investment in cities for the Green Investment Bank.
Simon is an independent energy consultant with nearly 15 years of experience working with regulated energy network companies, academia and government. He champions a whole-system approach to net zero, helping to ensure that we consider the implications of change across all parts of the energy system, economy and society.
He spent five years with the Scottish Government providing detailed analysis and advice on a range of energy system challenges including the development of electricity and gas networks, decarbonisation of heat and transport, and the role of carbon capture and storage in reaching net zero.
He worked closely with Ministers to support delivery of Scotland’s stretching greenhouse gas emissions targets and other ambitions for the energy system and he helped develop strong collaborations with regulators and the private sector. He was part of the team who wrote the 2017 Scottish Energy Strategy, the 2019 Vision for Scotland’s gas and electricity networks, and the 2020 update to the Scottish Climate Change Plan.
Prior to that Simon spent ten years with the University of Strathclyde. During this time, he gained a PhD in electrical engineering and worked on some of the key electricity network innovation projects in Scotland included the development of Smart Grids on Shetland and Orkney through the NINES project with Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks, the introduction of Active Network Management in southern Scotland through the Accelerating Renewable Connections (ARC) project with SP Energy Networks, and a detailed study into Scotland’s Security of Electricity Supply.