The current connections target is 77,450 and the regulator said it was considering increasing the allowed expenditure by £15.9 million, “to reflect the potential increase in the connections target”.
In March, Ofgem announced it had reviewed the fuel poor network extension scheme and believed the gas networks could connect more eligible households to the gas grid.
It used the uncertainty mechanism provided under RIIO-GD1 to request that the GDNs resubmit their business plan on connection numbers.
National Grid Gas Distribution estimated that it could undertake an additional 1,966 connections in the price control period, increasing its connection target by 6 per cent from 34,650 to 36,616.
Northern Gas Networks estimated it could take forward an additional 2,500 gas connections, increasing its connection target by 21 per cent from 12,000 connections to 14,500 connections.
Scotia Gas Networks estimated it could take forward an additional 7,497 gas connections, increase its connection target by 37 per cent from 20,000 to 27,497.
Wales and West Utilities forecast an increase of 1,790 gas connections, taking its connection target up by 17 per cent from 10,800 to 12,590.
The regulator is currently consulting on revising its connections target, the deadline for responses is 3 September 2015.