How long does a DNO application take?
Short answer: the DNO’s decision time is set by the network operator and depends on the connection type and region — it is not something an installer can speed up directly. What you can control is the biggest avoidable delay: applications returned because the evidence was missing or inconsistent.
What drives the timeline
- • Connection type — a G98 notification is faster than a full G99 application that must be assessed and approved before connection.
- • Region — each DNO runs its own assessment queue and timescales.
- • Site complexity — multiple chargers, capacity constraints, export limitation, solar or battery all add assessment.
- • Evidence quality — the one factor you control. Incomplete packs get returned, restarting the clock.
Where the time is really lost
For commercial EV and heat-pump jobs, the delay is rarely the DNO’s core assessment window — it is the round-trips when an application is submitted incomplete. A complete, evidence-checked and reviewed pack is the practical way to avoid resubmission. That is what a commercial EV charger DNO application pack is for, and it is the same principle behind a PermitGrid Connection Pack.
Can I make the DNO decision faster?
You cannot change the DNO’s statutory assessment window, but you can avoid the biggest delay: applications returned for missing or inconsistent evidence. A complete, evidence-checked pack removes that back-and-forth.
How fast can PermitGrid turn the pack around?
Our target is 48 hours to produce the reviewed Connection Pack once the required evidence is complete, payment has cleared and reviewer capacity is confirmed. The DNO’s own decision time is separate and set by the network operator.
Does a G98 notification take less time than a G99 application?
Generally yes — a G98 notification is fit-and-inform, while a G99 application must be assessed and approved before connection. Most commercial EV jobs fall under G99.
Avoid the resubmission delay
Send one stuck job. We flag the missing evidence before you submit, so the application goes in complete the first time.
Check one job →General information only, not legal, regulatory or electrical-design advice. Timescales vary by DNO and job and are set by the network operator. PermitGrid prepares document packs for qualified installer/engineer review before submission; it does not submit applications or certify design, and does not guarantee DNO or council approval or any specific timescale.