The Utility Regulator has published our determination on the financial incentive for SONI’s Annual Forward Plan 2025/2026.
SONI published their Forward Work Plan 2025/2026 in September 2025. The Utility Regulator then asked for written submissions from stakeholders on their views of the plan and a workshop was held in November 2025.
The Evaluative Performance Framework (EPF), devised as part of the SONI 2020 to 2027 price control, allows for the evaluation of SONI’s performance by an independent panel of experts (‘The panel’).
The EPF aims to incentivise SONI to demonstrate collaboration with stakeholders, innovation, greater transparency and accountability in its operations in planning and performance reporting, ultimately to the greater benefit of Northern Ireland consumers.
The panel conducted an evaluation of SONI’s Forward Plan, taking all evidence into account. The panel then submitted their Recommendation Report to us in December 2025 which we have published.
Having considered the panel’s recommendation report, and all evidence, we have made our final decision to accept the panel’s grading of SONI and the subsequent financial incentive. The financial reward will be dependent upon the outturn performance report at year end. The £512k Forward Plan financial incentive may increase or decrease depending upon performance and output delivery against the plan.
We have written to both SONI and the panel to advise of our decision which we have also published.
Conclusion of EPF year 2024/2025
As the EPF review process, for a single price control year, spans for 18 months we are often working on simultaneous price control years.
The final assessment of the 2024/2025 EPF year commenced following publication of SONI’s Performance Report 2024/2025 in December 2025.
We have published a call for stakeholder views with the deadline for responses on 6 February 2026. We aim to publish our final determination on SONI’s performance for 2024/2025 and the EPF Panel’s report by the end of April 2026.
Copies of all documents will be made available in large print, Braille, audio cassette and a variety of relevant minority languages if required.