What we do

What we do in the UK

We have a pivotal role in the UK energy industry, transporting energy from producers to local network operators, who bring gas and electricity into homes and businesses.

Transmission

We own the high-voltage electricity transmission network in England and Wales. We also own and operate the high-pressure gas transmission system in Great Britain. We transport electricity at high voltage and gas at high-pressure, using the world’s most reliable network of cables, pipes, pylons and wires.

Balancing supply and demand

In addition to transmission, we balance the system, making sure supply meets demand. For gas, this is managed by the Gas System Operator, which is part of our Gas Transmission business. The Electricity System Operator is a legally separate business, moving electricity around the system to keep homes and businesses supplied with the energy they need 24/7.

Energy suppliers

We don’t supply energy to homes and businesses. Gas and electricity are supplied to a local network of operators who lower the pressure and voltage and then transport it to consumers. Bills are also sent by suppliers, who have bought the energy from a producer.

Investing in a cleaner energy future for Britain

We are getting ready for a net-zero future. Upgrading to cleaner, greener and more affordable energy requires significant upgrades to our energy infrastructure to reliably meet increased demand.

This is creating exciting new opportunities to invest in new skills, smart technology and the best of British engineering and innovation to power our homes, travel and work right across the UK.

We’re bringing investment and jobs to the communities we operate in right across Great Britain, putting them at the heart of the transition to a net zero carbon future, using cleaner energy sources such as wind, solar and hydrogen.

In fact, we are playing a pivotal role in major programmes designed to convert entire regions of the UK to clean energy for homes, transport, industry and commerce.

We invest £1.3 billion every year to keep UK towns and cities connected to the next generation of clean gas and electricity networks.

For example, we are digging 38km of new tunnels deep under London to ensure reliable electricity supplies for the next 120 years and a new 5.4km tunnel under the River Humber that will transport 25% of Britain’s gas needs, safely and reliably.

We’re also building the world’s longest undersea electricity cable, connecting a million homes to clean hydro power direct from Norway’s fjords and bringing new investment to hubs like Blyth in Northeast England. This is just one of major six underseas cables allowing Britain to exchange clean energy with our neighbouring European countries.

How National Grid works

Watch our video to find out more about how National Grid keeps the energy flowing around the UK.