// payment practices, as filed · company 02366894
National Grid Electricity Distribution (South West) PLC: how it pays its suppliers, from its own filing
National Grid Electricity Distribution (South West) PLC reports paying its suppliers in an average of 18 days, with 7% of invoices paid later than the agreed terms, for the period 1 October 2025 to 31 March 2026. Across the 1,496 companies that report on construction contracts, the median is 31 days and 14% late. Every figure below is the company’s own, approved by a director and published on the government register; this page reproduces it and says what it means for a subcontractor.
18 days
Average days to pay
longer than 10% of the 1,496 filers; median 31 days
7%
Paid later than agreed
a higher share than 26% of filers; median 14%
93%
Paid within 30 days
1% took longer than 60 days
The terms it declares
- Standard payment terms
- 7 to 61 days
- Maximum contractual period
- 61 days
- Paid in 31 to 60 days
- 6%
- Paid after 60 days
- 1%
- Not paid because of a dispute
- 1%
- Filed on
- 11 May 2026
Their standard terms, in their words
National Grid Electricity Distribution do have different types of standard contracts depending on the product, service or works but the standard payment terms for the majority of our contracts is Net Monthly - this means payment will be due on the last day of the month following the one in which NGED receives a correctly rendered invoice. This also applies to purchase orders raised with no formal contract in place.
Every filing since Sep 2018
National Grid Electricity Distribution (South West) PLC has filed 16 times. The share paid late is down 2 points on the previous filing, and the average days to pay down 2 days. The first filing, for the period to 30 September 2018, reported 22 days and 18% late.
| Period to | Days to pay | Paid late | Within 30 days | Over 60 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 March 2026 | 18 | 7% | 93% | 1% |
| 30 September 2025 | 20 | 9% | 91% | 2% |
| 31 March 2025 | 17 | 7% | 92% | 1% |
| 30 September 2024 | 17 | 7% | 93% | 1% |
| 31 March 2024 | 19 | 9% | 90% | 3% |
| 30 September 2023 | 17 | 5% | 93% | 1% |
Retention
- Retention clauses in construction contracts
- yes
- Standard retention rate
- not stated
- In all construction contracts
- no
- Same terms they receive from their own client
- yes
- When they apply retention
- Retention clauses will be used when it is stated within the work instruction issued to the supplier that retention is to be applied.
- On parity with their client
- Yes – NGED are typically the end user and as such there are no additional parties who would apply retention clauses to NGED.
What this means if you are pricing work for them
The share paid later than agreed is the number to read first, because a short term makes an invoice late sooner and a long one hides lateness inside the term. National Grid Electricity Distribution (South West) PLC is at or below the median on that measure. The average days to pay sits under the median.
On a 30-day term this company’s average lands inside the term, so a late invoice is the exception. When one is late, the calculator shows what statutory interest and the fixed sum add, which the law lets you charge without a clause.
Against the official benchmark: the Department for Business and Trade’s statistics for 2025, published 14 July 2026, put large construction businesses at 33 days to pay with 14% of invoices late by number (13% by value), and all large businesses at 32 days and 15% late. National Grid Electricity Distribution (South West) PLC is at or inside the sector figure on days. Its late share is at or below the sector figure.
What the register does not show: it is self-reported, large companies only, and the filing covers the whole company, not your contract. Read it alongside the notice rules that decide what you are actually owed, and keep your own dates.
Questions subcontractors ask about National Grid Electricity Distribution (South West) PLC
- How long does National Grid Electricity Distribution (South West) PLC take to pay its suppliers?
- National Grid Electricity Distribution (South West) PLC reported an average of 18 days to pay an invoice for 1 October 2025 to 31 March 2026, with 93% of invoices paid within 30 days and 1% taking longer than 60 days. The official 2025 figure for large construction businesses is 33 days.
- Does National Grid Electricity Distribution (South West) PLC pay late?
- By its own filing, 7% of National Grid Electricity Distribution (South West) PLC's invoices were paid later than the agreed terms, against 14% across large construction businesses in 2025 and a median of 14% among the 1,496 companies on this register that declare construction contracts. That is down 2 points on its previous filing (9% for the period to 30 September 2025).
- Does National Grid Electricity Distribution (South West) PLC hold retention?
- Yes. National Grid Electricity Distribution (South West) PLC declares retention clauses in its construction contracts, though not in all of them. The filing's own wording is quoted above.
- Can I charge National Grid Electricity Distribution (South West) PLC interest on a late invoice?
- Yes, under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998, from the day after the final date for payment, at 8% over the Bank of England base rate plus a fixed sum per invoice, without any clause in the contract. The calculator works it out for your figures.
Source: the company’s own report on the government’s payment practices service, report 111814, made under the Reporting on Payment Practices and Performance Regulations 2017 and reproduced under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Register copy taken 2 October 2026; comparisons are against the latest filing of each of the 1,496 companies declaring construction contracts. Figures are as filed, not judged. Not legal advice.
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- Which main contractors pay late? What the payment practices register saysTen UK main contractors' filed payment figures: average days to pay, share paid late, report links. Median of 1,496 construction filers: 31 days, 14% late.
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