Where Our Energy Comes From news from 2026
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- November 2026
National Grid net debt of £48bn reported and set to rise
National Grid's latest accounts show net debt of £48bn at 30 September, with a further £4bn expected within six months and the chief finance officer pointing to £60bn to £70bn by 2031.
- October 2026
Storm Boelo leaves 39,000 customers without power in Great Britain
Storm Boelo left 39,000 customers without power across Great Britain on Monday morning, the Energy Networks Association said, while 785,000 households had been reconnected after weekend winds of up to 84mph.
Wholesale gas prices peaked above 240p/thm in early trading
UK natural gas prices peaked above 240p per therm in early trading on 26 October 2026, as polling for the End Fuel Poverty Coalition found energy costs the public's top Budget priority.
Regen publishes The Future of the Gas Grid report
Regen has published a report, commissioned by the MCS Foundation, on how Britain's gas distribution network should be funded, maintained and eventually decommissioned as gas demand falls.
Wholesale gas prices hit highest level since 2022
Wholesale gas prices reached 217p per therm on Wednesday, their highest since 2022, as Scottish Power's chief executive warned of a household energy debt "doom loop".
Government publishes response to CMA heating oil market study
The government has accepted the Competition and Markets Authority's recommendation to regulate the heating oil market for the first time, promising stronger consumer protections for households.
UK gas prices reach highs last seen in 2022
UK gas prices have risen to their highest level since December 2022, with wholesale costs approaching 200p per therm and gas unit rates up 27 per cent year on year.
- September 2026
NGN announces 17-week gas mains upgrade on Welham Road, Norton
Northern Gas Networks will begin a 17-week gas mains replacement on Welham Road in Norton, North Yorkshire, from 21 September, starting with a three-week road closure and then multi-way traffic lights.
NAO warns that delayed grid upgrades could increase household energy bills
The National Audit Office has warned that without urgent electricity grid upgrades, constraint costs paid by consumers could rise from around £1.9bn to £7.8bn by 2030.
NESO identifies grid projects requiring acceleration
The National Audit Office has said grid upgrade delays risk pushing constraint costs from around £1.9bn in 2025-26 towards £7.8bn by 2030, with NESO naming three projects for acceleration.
UK wholesale gas prices hit four-year high
UK wholesale gas reached levels last seen in December 2022, approaching 200p per therm on 9 September 2026, while heating oil prices exceeded their previous five-year highs.
Consultation launched on a proposed Welsh public energy company
The Welsh Government has opened a consultation on proposals for a single national public energy company owned by the people of Wales, running until 30 November 2026.
Cadent publishes 2025 gas emergency call figures for North West and East Midlands
Cadent has published figures showing more than 67,000 smell of gas calls in the North West and over 43,500 in the East Midlands during 2025, on the national gas emergency number.
- August 2026
Government publishes interim response to Gas System in Transition consultation
The Government has published its interim response to the Gas System in Transition consultation, accepting that gas will remain important for decades and that intervention may be needed as domestic production falls.
UK Power Networks rolls 'Our View' video support into business as usual
UK Power Networks has moved its Our View video support service into business as usual, giving all customers live video help with supply problems instead of waiting for an engineer visit.
- July 2026
SONI ten-year electricity network plan published
The Utility Regulator has published its decision on SONI's Transmission Development Plan for Northern Ireland 2025-34, setting out the system operator's ten-year plan for developing the electricity network.
- June 2026
SSEN publishes customer guide on looped services
SSEN has published a customer guide and an example letter explaining looped electricity services, where two homes share one connection, and how it separates them.
First LDES Cap and Floor window supported 16 projects
Ofgem has published minded-to decisions to give cap and floor investment support to 16 long-duration electricity storage projects totalling 7.6GW and 137GWh of capacity.
- May 2026
NEPC warns government to speed up electricity system digitalisation for Clean Power 2030
The National Engineering Policy Centre has told government to speed up digitalisation of the Great Britain electricity system, warning that weak coordination and slow smart meter uptake put Clean Power 2030 at risk.
Wales' first hydrogen home opens to visitors
Wales & West Utilities has opened a retrofitted terraced home heated with green hydrogen to public visitors, calling it Wales' first hydrogen home and a UK-first retrofit of its kind.
G99/NI Fast Track application limit raised to 60A per phase
NIE Networks has raised the G99/NI Fast Track application limit in Northern Ireland from 16A to 60A per phase, while keeping the export limit at 16A per phase.
- April 2026
Citizens Advice published its response on the future role of DNOs
Citizens Advice has told Ofgem that the evidence does not yet justify giving electricity distribution network operators a bigger role in energy efficiency and low carbon technologies.
Government moves to break the link between gas and electricity prices
The government has announced voluntary long-term fixed-price contracts for existing low-carbon generators, a move intended to reduce how often gas sets the wholesale electricity price.
- March 2026
Government to explore regulation of the heating oil market
The Government has committed over £50 million to help low-income households that use heating oil and will explore regulating a market it says is not functioning properly.
CMA announces detailed examination of the whole heating oil market
The Competition and Markets Authority will take forward a detailed examination of the whole heating oil market at pace, the government has confirmed alongside over £50 million of support for households.
Energy Secretary and Minister Shanks write to heating oil industry warning of increased prices
The Energy Secretary and Minister Shanks wrote jointly to the heating oil industry on 9 March warning of increased prices and of action to protect consumers.
SSEN becomes first Distribution Network Operator to use smart video surveys for connections
SSEN Distribution has become the first UK distribution network operator to use AI-powered smart video surveys, letting customers film their own properties to plan connection upgrades for heat pumps and EV chargers.
Cornwall Insight predicts higher July energy price cap
Cornwall Insight expects the July price cap to rise by around 10% to about £1,800 for the average household, reversing April's £117 fall as Middle East gas tensions feed through to bills.
Record renewable electricity generation reached in the UK
Renewable power reached a record 65 per cent of UK electricity generation in March 2026, the Centre for Sustainable Energy reports, describing a grid where the timing of household electricity use shapes cost and carbon.
- February 2026
SSEN issues Power Cut Plans to more than 150,000 Priority Services customers
SSEN Distribution has issued dedicated Power Cut Plans to more than 150,000 Priority Services customers and begun delivering the first of 20,000 free home battery packs to medically dependent households.
Gas System in Transition consultation closes
The government's Gas System in Transition consultation on gas infrastructure and supply security closed on 18 February 2026, the first step in a programme to manage long-term gas security of supply.
Heat pumps join UK Power Networks flexibility market
UK Power Networks has integrated more than 6,000 heat pumps into its Localflex flexibility trading platform, with simplified payment rules and approval times cut to a single day.
SSEN and Policy in Practice launch partnership to embed PSR eligibility into benefit checks
SSEN and Policy in Practice have embedded Priority Services Register eligibility prompts into the Better Off benefit calculator, so advisers can register eligible households during routine benefit checks.
- January 2026
Record 8.4GW of offshore wind secures CfD contracts in AR7
The government's seventh Contracts for Difference auction has awarded a record 8.4GW of offshore wind capacity, split between five fixed-foundation projects and two floating schemes.
SSEN announces around £100m Swindon network upgrade programme
SSEN Distribution has begun an upgrade programme worth around £100m to strengthen the electricity network for more than 140 thousand customers in Swindon and the surrounding area by the turn of the decade.
SSEN returns to 'Weather Warning' preparedness level for north of Scotland
SSEN has returned to its first heightened preparedness level for the north of Scotland, bringing in extra engineers and contact centre staff ahead of high winds, low temperatures and further snow.
SSEN moves to 'Weather Warning' preparedness level ahead of Storm Goretti
SSEN has moved to its first heightened preparedness level in central southern England before Storm Goretti, texting more than 400,000 Priority Services customers as gale-force winds are forecast.