Our communities

Our journey so far 

As National Grid has evolved and grown in scale in the UK and US, we have become part of the fabric of the communities we serve – we keep the lights on, we keep homes warm, we help economies to thrive. We are an operator, an employer, and a supplier. We support our communities with the time and expertise of our people, and through corporate giving programmes.

Responsibility in communities

Our approach to responsibility in our communities goes beyond safely maintaining the resilient energy systems society expects. It’s also about making sure our economic and social role in the community has the greatest possible positive impact.

That includes developing infrastructure and helping customers use energy more efficiently. It also means partnering with charity organisations and encouraging our employees to support social, economic and environmental development.

Our Responsible Business Charter sets out our commitments and ambitions to make a positive impact in the communities we serve, as well as further detail about how we will achieve them.

Our commitments

• Deliver energy in a fair and affordable way to the communities we serve
• Play our role in ensuring no-one is left behind in the transition to clean energy
• Continue to reinvest in energy infrastructure at approximately £5 billion each year
• Report transparently on energy costs throughout the energy transition
• Provide access to skills development for 45,000 people by 2030
• Achieve 500,000 employee volunteering hours by 2030

Our ambitions

• Enable people in our communities to gain employment in the clean and just recovery from COVID-19
• Help customers reduce their energy usage

Our community investment programmes

We are committed to delivering sustainable energy safely, reliably and affordably for the communities we serve. It is important that everyone in our communities enjoys the benefits of the clean energy transition - no one should be left behind.

We work with many charitable partners in the UK and the US to ensure that those communities in greatest need benefit from our presence. From STEM education delivered through the United Way and City Year, to food donations and volunteering with the Trussell Trust as part of our COVID-19 response, we are committed to being a force for good in the communities we serve.

In both the UK and US we run community grant programs aimed at community organisations and charities in areas where National Grid’s work is impacting on local people through our operations and site activities. In the US, The National Grid Foundation has provided more than $27 million in grants to partners who support the foundation's mission of enhancing the quality of life, economic strength and environmental stewardship in National Grid’s service territories. 

Through our Grid for Good initiative, we are rolling out a series of new partnerships and programmes to increase employability in lower income communities and train the youth of today to become the net zero energy workforce society needs tomorrow. We aim to follow these students from their first engagement on our programmes, right through to employment at National Grid, our partners and suppliers, or elsewhere in the clean energy economy we are committed to building.

Find out more:
 

• The National Grid Foundation 
• Our Community Grant Programme 
   

Our contribution to UN Sustainable Development Goals

We support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity.

Learn about what we’re doing to support our communities

Read our latest stories below showing some of the work we're doing to support our communities.

Focus areas where we can make an impact

We have identified the other key areas where we can really make a difference by ensuring responsibility is woven through everything we do.