Where Our Energy Comes From news, page 5
- March 2024
SSEN and partners announce accelerated connection timescales for 7,800 homes in West London
SSEN Distribution and National Grid have brought forward connection dates for 7,800 homes across three West London boroughs using ramped connections, with projects once slated for the 2030s now able to connect within 12 to 24 months.
SSEN announces completion of VFES vulnerability innovation project
SSEN Distribution has completed the VFES innovation project, funded by Ofgem's Network Innovation Allowance, which predicts where and when communities are most vulnerable to power cuts and to missing out on low-carbon technology.
ESO outlines Beyond 2030 report
The Electricity System Operator set out its Beyond 2030 report in March 2024, recommending transmission network investment for the 2030s to support a decarbonised grid.
- February 2024
SSEN announces £2.2m Dorchester Town Green Recovery upgrade under way
SSEN Distribution has confirmed a £2.2m nine-month upgrade in Dorchester Town, adding 7.2MW of capacity for more than 21,000 homes and businesses, due to finish by November 2024.
ECIU estimates UK spent around £105bn on wholesale gas in 2.5 years of the gas crisis
The Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit estimates the UK spent around £105bn on wholesale gas in two and a half years of the gas crisis, about £75bn more than before it.
Welsh Government publishes response to Ofgem call for input on standing charges
The Welsh Government has told Ofgem that standing charges should be abolished, that North Wales pays the highest in Great Britain, and that a social tariff is overdue.
SSEN submits £10m Storm Arwen funding application to Ofgem
SSEN Distribution has asked Ofgem for £10m of dedicated funding for five projects to improve storm response and network resilience, following the regulator's review of the response to Storm Arwen.
Launch of Interim CMIS EC5 service
The Electricity System Operator launched an interim Constraint Management Intertrip Service for the EC5 region in February 2024, with an enduring service to follow from April 2025.
- January 2024
SSEN moves to Weather Warning status for north of Scotland ahead of 31 January winds
SSEN Distribution moved to Weather Warning status for the north of Scotland on 29 January 2024, then upgraded to Yellow Alert on 30 January, ahead of very strong winds forecast for Wednesday 31 January.
SSEN restores power to 35,000 homes after Storm Isha
SSEN restored power to 35,000 homes in central southern England after Storm Isha, as the network operator prepared for Storm Jocelyn and set out compensation for affected customers.
Storm Jocelyn forecast to disrupt SSEN network
SSEN restored power to more than 36,000 homes after Storm Isha and warned that Storm Jocelyn is expected to disrupt its network through Tuesday and Wednesday.
SSEN maintains yellow alert for north of Scotland ahead of Storm Jocelyn
SSEN keeps its yellow alert for the north of Scotland as Storm Jocelyn is forecast to bring 75mph gusts overnight, while crews finish reconnecting 370 properties left without power by Storm Isha.
SSEN moves to Weather Warning status for central southern England
SSEN Distribution moved to Weather Warning status for central southern England on 18 January 2024, warning of gusts of 55 to 60mph from Sunday night into Monday morning.
Weather warning for central southern England with damaging winds forecast
SSEN activated contingency plans and added teams ahead of gusts forecast above 55mph inland and 60mph on coasts and high ground across central southern England on 2 January 2024.
Issuance of accelerated connection contracts for 10 GW of BESS
The Electricity System Operator issued connection contracts with accelerated dates for 21 battery storage projects totalling 10 GW at the start of 2024, it has reported.
- 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.