UK widens utility payments licence for designated persons to allow cash

LONDON, March 31, 2026 — The United Kingdom has amended General Licence INT/2022/2300292, broadening the payment methods available under its utility payments carveout for UK-designated persons who own or rent property in the country. Under the announcement, the change permits all forms of utility payment, including cash.

The licence covers payments to utility companies for gas and electricity tied to UK properties owned or rented by UK-designated persons. It also covers related payments for meter installation, certification, validation, monitoring, replacement and removal, including for district heating networks powered by gas or electricity. The licence was originally issued on Nov. 17, 2022, and the enclosed version shows it was amended again on March 31, 2026.

The move appears intended to give designated persons and those acting on their behalf greater flexibility in meeting essential household utility costs, while preserving the reporting and record-keeping obligations attached to the licence. The document requires quarterly reporting by UK-designated persons on permitted payments and 14-day reporting by energy companies for return payments, with records to be kept for at least six years.

The general licence applies across a wide range of UK autonomous sanctions regimes listed in Annex 1, including Russia, Belarus, Iran, Syria and others. It does not permit payments to any person designated by the United Nations.