Where Our Energy Comes From news from 2023
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- December 2023
SSEN offers £30 per person per day compensation during Storm Gerrit outages
SSEN Distribution has confirmed that customers left without power for more than 12 hours by Storm Gerrit can claim £30 per person per day for food and drink, as around 16,000 properties remained off supply.
Storm Gerrit damages SSEN network in north of Scotland
Storm Gerrit damaged SSEN's network across the north of Scotland on 27 December 2023, leaving just over 16,000 properties off supply by 9.45pm and some rural homes without power until Friday.
SSEN Distribution moves to Weather Warning status ahead of forecast high winds
SSEN Distribution moved to Weather Warning status on 18 December 2023 ahead of strong winds forecast across northern Scotland, activating contingency plans and additional teams.
Octopus overtakes British Gas as largest electricity supplier
Octopus Energy became the UK's largest electricity supplier in late 2023, overtaking British Gas after completing its purchase of Shell Energy's household customers.
Release 1 of the Open Balancing Platform went live
The first release of the Open Balancing Platform went live in December 2023, part of the Electricity System Operator's work to cut the cost of balancing the grid.
- November 2023
SSEN completes £3.9 million Netley Common network upgrade
SSEN has completed a £3.9 million rebuild of the Netley Common electricity network near Southampton, begun in December 2021, with a further £3 million project proposed for early 2025.
Good Energy launches Power Pause demand flexibility scheme
Good Energy has joined National Grid's Demand Flexibility Service for winter 2023, inviting eligible smart meter customers to register for its Power Pause scheme and earn bill credit for cutting peak-time electricity use.
SSEN restores power to almost 25,000 customers after Storm Ciarán
SSEN restored power to almost 25,000 customers in central southern England after Storm Ciarán, with around 2,000 still off supply at noon on 2 November 2023 and the network at Yellow Alert.
New design standard for domestic connections comes into effect in Northern Ireland
NIE Networks has brought in a new design standard for domestic connections in Northern Ireland from 1 November 2023, allowing new connections to support higher capacity for heat pumps and electric vehicle chargers.
National Grid prepares for Storm Ciarán in South West England and South Wales
National Grid has put standby staff, extra contact centre operatives and helicopters on readiness ahead of Storm Ciarán, which is forecast to bring gusts of up to 85mph to exposed coasts of South West England and South Wales.
Passiv UK launches Greener Grid Payments for heat pump customers
Passiv UK has launched Greener Grid Payments, an automated service that pays its heat pump control customers for cutting power at peak times under the National Grid ESO Demand Flexibility Service.
Petroineos announces closure of Grangemouth oil refinery
Petroineos announced in November 2023 that it would close the Grangemouth oil refinery, and the company completed the closure in 2025, according to the Climate Change Committee.
- October 2023
SSEN Distribution moves to Weather Warning status ahead of Storm Ciarán
SSEN Distribution moved to Weather Warning status on 30 October 2023 and then to Yellow Alert on 31 October, standing up extra teams ahead of Storm Ciarán's forecast 70mph coastal gusts.
SSEN restores power to 37,000 customers after Storm Babet
SSEN has restored power to 37,000 customers after Storm Babet, fixing more than 450 faults, but around 150 flooded properties in Brechin cannot yet be reconnected safely.
SGN launches energy efficiency tool with Energy Saving Trust
SGN has launched an energy efficiency tool developed with the Energy Saving Trust that gives households a personalised action plan and could save an average of £110 a year on bills.
NIE Networks announces change to design standard for new domestic connections
NIE Networks will introduce a higher-capacity design standard for new domestic connections from 1 November 2023, after a consultation on accommodating electric vehicle chargers and heat pumps.
National Infrastructure Commission estimates gas network decommissioning cost
The National Infrastructure Commission estimated in October 2023 that decommissioning the gas networks would cost £25 billion, a figure cited by the Committee of Public Accounts in its May 2024 report on decarbonising home heating.
- September 2023
E3G assesses UK government response to gas crisis
E3G analysis finds the UK has not enacted long-term measures to cut exposure to volatile gas markets, and sets out recommendations on a social tariff, retrofit and renewables.
SSEN Distribution launches data portal in partnership with Icebreaker One
SSEN Distribution has launched an open data portal built with Icebreaker One, publishing anonymised load-modelling data under a Creative Commons licence for use by councils, businesses and individuals.
- August 2023
SSEN extends Sherborne upgrade to December 2023
SSEN has extended its Sherborne network upgrade from September to December 2023 and raised investment in the Dorset project to £1.9 million, covering around 10,350 homes and businesses.
SSEN begins £2.6m Charminster electricity infrastructure upgrade
SSEN has started a £2.6 million upgrade of underground cabling in Charminster, Dorset, replacing 4.6 kilometres of cable in works that run until March 2024.
UK Power Networks reports trial success and considers next steps
UK Power Networks says it is considering how to build on a fuel voucher trial with charity Scope that gave more than 1,000 disabled customers £80 towards their energy bills.
CfD Allocation Round 5 secures no offshore wind capacity
The fifth Contracts for Difference allocation round secured no offshore wind capacity, a result Ember says puts the government's 50 GW offshore wind target for 2030 at risk.
Ofgem publishes call for input on engaging domestic consumers in energy flexibility
Ofgem has opened a call for input on how to move households from passive bill paying to active energy flexibility, with responses due by 29 September 2023.
- June 2023
National Grid ESO to use HOMEflex Code of Conduct in Winter 23/24 Demand Flexibility Service
National Grid ESO will use the HOMEflex Code of Conduct in its Winter 23/24 Demand Flexibility Service, ahead of the schedule set for the domestic flexibility project.
SSEN cancels planned outages in north of Scotland ahead of lightning risk
SSEN Distribution cancelled all major planned outages across the north of Scotland on 12 June 2023 as a precaution against forecast lightning, and put additional teams in place to handle faults.
Publication of Nick Winser's independent report on Accelerating Electricity Transmission Network Deployment
Nick Winser's independent report on accelerating electricity transmission network deployment was published in June 2023, setting out the need for unprecedented development of Britain's transmission infrastructure.
- May 2023
New inquiry launched on sustainable electrification of the UK economy
The Environmental Audit Committee has opened an inquiry into the barriers stopping low-carbon technologies connecting to the grid, with written evidence due by 17:00 on Thursday 1 June.
Ofgem commits to central role in grid connection reform
Ofgem has committed to taking a central role in driving progress on reform of grid connection arrangements, the Welsh Government's draft heat strategy records.
SSEN begins £10.6m Alton and Bordon network upgrade
SSEN has started a £10.6m programme of works to upgrade electricity supplies in Alton and Bordon, running from 1 May 2023 until September 2024.
- April 2023
ECIU report warns UK energy security incompatible with high gas demand
The Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit has published a report warning that the Government's energy security aim cannot be met while gas demand stays high, as North Sea production declines.
SSEN completes £710,000 Lynes Common network upgrade in Hythe
SSEN has completed a £710,000 upgrade of switchgear at Lynes Common in Hythe, replacing equipment that had reached the end of its working life and serving 20,000 homes and businesses.
UK Power Networks launches independent DSO
UK Power Networks launched the country's first independent Distribution System Operator in April 2023, separating the body that plans its network from the one that runs it.
TCR removes time of use based TNUoS charges
Ofgem's Targeted Charging Review replaces the time of use element of transmission charges with a banded fixed charge from April 2023, cutting the revenue available from vehicle-to-grid tariff optimisation by around half.
- March 2023
Cadent and British Gas offer all Whitby residents a choice to opt in or out of Hydrogen Village trial
Cadent and British Gas have written to all 2,000 residents in the proposed Whitby Hydrogen Village offering each household a choice to opt in to hydrogen heating or stay on natural gas.
SSEN restores power to central southern England network after high winds
SSEN restored power to around 8,500 customers across central southern England after high winds, with engineers working into the evening on the remaining handful of properties.
SSEN weather warning for central southern England
SSEN's weather model showed strong winds with coastal gusts of 60mph across central southern England on Monday 13 March, prompting the network operator to increase standby resources and contact priority customers.
Ministers approve hydrogen blending in UK gas network
Ministers have approved blending hydrogen into the UK gas network, with commercial implementation expected by 2025-26 subject to safety assessments and legislative change.
Powering Up Britain energy security plan published
The Government published Powering Up Britain in March 2023, its second energy security plan in two years, setting out measures intended to reduce reliance on imported gas and oil.
SSEN plans multi-million pound Bordon infrastructure upgrade for spring 2023
Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks is co-ordinating a multi-million pound electricity infrastructure upgrade in Bordon, Hampshire, with preparatory works completed in late 2022 and main works due to start in spring 2023.
- February 2023
SSEN restores supplies to over 41,000 properties after Storm Otto with around 2,500 still off supply
SSEN restored power to more than 41,000 properties by 10am on 18 February after Storm Otto, with around 2,500 still off supply and 750 staff deployed across Aberdeenshire.
SSEN moves to Weather Warning status in the north of Scotland
SSEN Distribution has moved to Weather Warning status in northern Scotland ahead of severe gales forecast from Wednesday afternoon, with extra resources sent to key locations.
SSEN reports 16,000 properties off supply due to Storm Otto
SSEN restored power to more than 27,000 properties after Storm Otto but around 16,000 remained off supply at 4.30pm, with some rural customers facing more than 48 hours without electricity.
Storm Otto impacts SSEN high voltage network in north of Scotland
Storm Otto brought 85mph gusts to northern Scotland from around 4am on 7 February 2023, cutting power to 30,000 properties on SSEN's high voltage network and leaving some rural homes off supply for more than 48 hours.
Hampshire network upgrade project due for completion
Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks has completed a £3.9 million upgrade of electricity infrastructure around Netley Common in Southampton, a fourteen-month project serving around 75,000 homes and businesses.
- January 2023
SSEN commits additional £3.5 million for Storm Arwen affected communities
SSEN Distribution has committed an additional £3.5 million for communities worst hit by Storm Arwen, covering local authority funding, its Resilient Communities Fund and network investment in north east Scotland.
First live DFS event held
The first live Demand Flexibility Service event on 23 January 2023 paid 400,000 households and businesses £3.37 per kilowatt hour for electricity demand they reduced.
SSEN energises Bournemouth network upgrade
SSEN has energised a 2.2 kilometre replacement cable between East Howe and Victoria Park substations in Bournemouth, completing a £2.7 million upgrade that began in March of last year.
Cost-Plus Revenue Limit to come into force
The government's temporary Cost-Plus Revenue Limit on low-carbon generators in England and Wales is planned to come into force from the start of 2023, under powers in the Energy Prices Bill.
Detailed design and construction phase begins for 12 SSEN projects
SSEN Distribution has appointed Freedom Group as design and build contractor for 12 network projects worth £41 million, with construction due to start in January 2023 and completion targeted for July 2024.
Gas costs push consumer electricity prices to four times 2021 levels
Ember analysis finds UK consumers paid four times more for electricity in January 2023 than two years earlier under Ofgem's price cap, as soaring gas costs drove the crisis peak.
UK imports no fossil fuels from Russia
The UK imported no coal, oil or gas from Russia in January 2023, as fossil fuel imports from Russia continued to fall after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
UK Power Networks next regulatory price control period begins
UK Power Networks has begun its next regulatory price control period, running from 2023 to 2028, after its Green Recovery programme drew 360 bids and led to 86 approved projects.
Welsh Government published consultation reviewing renewable energy targets
The Welsh Government has confirmed it consulted in January 2023 on renewable energy targets including 100% of annual electricity consumption from renewables by 2035 and 5.5GW of heat pump capacity.
Wind generation overtook gas in early 2023
Zapmap reports that in early 2023 wind farms supplied more UK electricity than gas, a figure it cites in a guide rebutting common claims about electric vehicles.