Ofgem’s headcount was approximately 1,400 in July 2022. This is higher than the 1,246 total staff Ofgem employed on average through 2021–22, and an increase of around 72% from the 816 total staff it employed during 2017–18.25 It had submitted a bid to HM Treasury asking for more resources to carry out its functions. It told us that this was driven by three factors, only one of which was changing its regulatory regime for the retail energy market to be more proactive, based on the approach to regulation of the financial sector. Ofgem explain that it had also asked for more resources to enable it to implement 17 C&AG’s Report, para 3.15 18 RES 0002, SSE Energy Solutions, 11 July 2022; RES 0009, EDF, 11 July 2022; RES 0007, Centrica 11 July 2022; RES 0005, E.ON, 11 July 2022; RES 0004, Octopus Energy, 11 July 2022. 19 RES 0002, SSE Energy Solutions 11 July 2022; RES 0005, E.ON, 11 July 2022 20 Q 70; RES 0004, Octopus Energy, 11 July 2022 21 Qq 65, 75 22 Qq 100–101 23 Q 32 24 Qq 32, 52 25 Q 100; Ofgem, Annual Report and Accounts 2021–22, HC 489, July 2022 and Ofgem, Annual Report and Accounts 2017–18, HC 1107, June 2018 12 Regulation of energy suppliers new government schemes, such as the Department’s boiler upgrade scheme, and to take on regulatory responsibility for new areas, such as carbon capture and storage and new nuclear power plants.26