About us
Semarts was established in response to a gap in understanding and application of the obligations that apply to licence-exempt electricity distribution network operators. As a result, many operators are exposed to regulatory and commercial risk—both through insufficient alignment with the requirements of Schedule 2ZA of the Electricity Act 1989 and through charging and recovery frameworks that fail to recover allowable costs in full.
This combination of regulatory uncertainty and under-recovery makes long-term investment in energy infrastructure increasingly challenging, particularly where costs are rising and returns are slower or less certain. In parallel, many private network operators are increasing investment in onsite and embedded renewable generation. Where Third Party Access has the potential to be requested, changes in demand profiles relative to generation can affect the realisation of investment value and the recovery of network and generation-related costs.
At the same time, operational teams responsible for running private networks are often not resourced or structured to meet the expanding technical, governance and compliance requirements placed upon them.
Semarts exists to address these challenges proactively. We support private network operators by clarifying regulatory obligations, designing proportionate and compliant charging frameworks, and advising on strategies to manage Third Party Access, cost recovery and governance in a way that is commercially sustainable.
Our role is to bring structure, clarity and commercial discipline to private electricity network decision-making, governance and long-term funding—before issues surface through dispute, regulatory scrutiny or material funding gaps.
Core Principles
Our work is guided by a small number of clear principles:
Clarity before complexity
We start by understanding how the network actually operates—its assets, configuration, users and risks—before applying methodology or modelling.
Commercial rigour
Recovery models are designed to support sustainable cost recovery, protect long-term asset value and avoid unintended cross-subsidy or distortion.
Compliance with intent
Regulatory requirements are applied proportionately and purposefully, ensuring frameworks meet Ofgem expectations without unnecessary complication.
Practical delivery
Outputs are built to be transparent, auditable and usable by internal teams, supporting effective governance and confident decision-making.
Expertise
Semarts is intentionally niche, working exclusively with complex private electricity networks operating across airports, ports, industrial estates and large mixed-use environments.
Our expertise spans:
Ofgem-compliant tariff and charging methodologies
Third Party Access (TPA) strategy, assessment and governance
Asset-led cost recovery and investment frameworks
Strategic assurance for senior decision-makers
This intentional focus allows Semarts to operate at the intersection of regulation, infrastructure and commercial decision-making, where generic energy advice is often insufficient, and where clarity, credibility and compliance matter most.
Meet us
Nathan Masters
Founder and Principal Consultant | Semarts Utility Consulting
Nathan is an experienced energy and utilities professional with over a decade of experience spanning private electricity networks, supplier operations and consultancy.
Alongside founding Semarts Utility Consulting, Nathan is the Commercial Utilities Manager at Manchester Airports Group, where he is responsible for the management and recovery of utility costs across three major UK airports. His role covers a multi-site, eight-figure annual utilities portfolio and complex third-party recovery arrangements within highly regulated environments.
Nathan has led the development of Ofgem-accredited tariff methodologies, the establishment of in-house utility bureau operations, and the design of long-term energy procurement and hedging strategies. His work has delivered multiple millions of pounds of recurring financial benefit, strengthening cost recovery, governance and commercial transparency across complex private networks.
His background spans network operation, settlement performance, billing, data integrity and asset management, providing a practical, end-to-end understanding of how private networks function in reality—not just in theory. This experience underpins Semarts’ ability to translate complex regulatory and technical requirements into clear, defensible and commercially grounded advice for infrastructure-intensive organisations.