Portrait of Charles Blake

Charles Blake Managing Consultant

Charles is a member of Oxera’s Analytics and Performance, Productivity and Efficiency teams. He has extensive experience of the UK and continental European regulatory systems and has a particular interest in regulated energy and water networks. He has led a number of efficiency projects in the UK water and transport sectors as well as the German energy sector, including large, complex international benchmarking assignments. Charles regularly delivers cost assessment training as part of Oxera’s Utility Regulation course.

Before joining Oxera, he completed an internship at an energy think tank and studied economics at the University of Cambridge, where he specialised in econometrics and public economics.

Charles speaks English.

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7776 6692

Charles' specialisms include:

Selected
professional experience

  • Advising a consortium of British distribution networks on real price effects (2025–)

  • Ongoing assistance for British energy networks as part of the upcoming price control (RIIO-3), with a focus on frontier shift, real price effects, cost modelling and incentives (2024–)

  • Developing a methodology for a Portuguese water company to monitor and incentivise its own efficiency (2024)

  • Assisting a Belgian gas and electricity distribution system operator (DSO) on the implementation of a TOTEX regime (2023)

  • Critically evaluating the Bundesnetzagentur’s RP4 TOTEX models on behalf of a German Gas DSO (2023)

  • Ongoing assistance for UK water companies in engagements with the regulator on PR24 cost and performance assessment, including econometric cost modelling, setting performance targets and ongoing efficiency and input price pressure (2022–)

Selected
publications

  • Thanassoulis, E., Blake, C. and Parthasarathy S. (2022), ‘Implicit and explicit incentives within economic regulation’, Decision Analytics Journal, 4:1.

Qualifications

  • BA Economics, University of Cambridge

Latest Insights:  Charles Blake

Agenda
15 minute read
Depiction of Ofgem’s RIIO-ED3 SSMD: what next for GB electricity distribution networks

Ofgem’s RIIO-ED3 SSMD: what next for GB electricity distribution networks

On 21 May 2026, Ofgem published its Sector Specific Methodology Decision (SSMD)1 for the forthcoming RIIO-ED3 (ED3) price control for GB electricity distribution network operators (DNOs). We explore some of…
Agenda
< 1 minute read
Depiction of CMA PR24 water redeterminations

CMA PR24 water redeterminations

On 26 March 2026, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) published its final determinations for five water companies—Anglian, Northumbrian, South East, Southern, and Wessex—serving 7 million households with combined annual…
Agenda
< 1 minute read
Depiction of ACM’s draft method decisions for gas and electricity networks

ACM’s draft method decisions for gas and electricity networks

Across Europe, several regulators are consulting on how their frameworks should evolve to respond to the challenges that energy networks face due to climate commitments and the broader macroeconomic environment.…
Agenda
10 minute read
Depiction of RIIO-ED2 Draft Determinations

RIIO-ED2 Draft Determinations

On 29 June 2022, Ofgem published its Draft Determinations (DDs) for the RIIO-ED2 price control covering the electricity distribution (ED) sector. The regulatory cycle for the ED sector follows that…

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