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Working near our assets
On this page, you'll find guidance and support for working near our electricity transmission assets, including overhead lines and underground cables.
Working near our electricity assets
Are you proposing, scheduling, or designing developments close to our electricity transmission assets? Our electricity assets include overhead lines, pylons, underground cables, and transmission substations.
For electrical assets, we do not authorise or agree safe systems of work with developers and contractors. However, we will advise on issues such as electrical safety clearances and the location of towers and cables. We also work with developers to minimise the impact of any of our assets that are nearby.
You can find out more about the basic safety and location of our assets by downloading our guidance document for working near electricity equipment.
What to do in an emergency
If you spot a potential hazard on or near an overhead electricity line please call the 24-hour electricity emergency helpline :
0800 40 40 90
Follow these steps:
do not approach any hazard, even at ground level - keep as far away as possible
- warn anyone in the area to evacuate or stay away
- tell us where the emergency is. If you don't know you can describe the area or look for road signs
- explain what's happened and what you can see
- give your name and phone number.
Working on our land
Are you a developer wishing to work with National Grid to acquire rights over our land? You can find out more by downloading our guidance document and appendices below.
The guidance explains the process for securing rights over land owned by National Grid Electricity Transmission (leasehold/freehold and/or cable rights), the high-level design principles for development of land in proximity to operational electricity transmission assets, common land constraints to be aware of and requirements in relation to planning applications and use of permitted development rights.
Guidance note on the use of National Grid Electricity Transmission land – October 2022
Guidance note on the use of National Grid Electricity Transmission land: Appendices – November 2022
Enquiries about working near our assets
If you have any questions or need more information about working near our network assets, please contact the National Grid Asset Protection team or submit an enquiry to Line Search.
Line Search provide search facilities for our assets so you can:
find out if it's safe to dig before you start
find out where underground electricity cables and gas pipelines are buried
identify National Grid overhead lines and request line profile drawings and safety guidance
report any works you are planning in Britain.
Phone: 0800 001 4282 (Asset Protection)
Email: [email protected]
For domestic enquiries, such as metering or power cuts, more information can be found on the National Grid ESO website.