UK Power Networks vs National Grid: who does what

UK Power Networks and National Grid are two different kinds of company, and the confusion between them is one of the most common in British energy. UK Power Networks is a distribution network operator: it owns the wires, cables, substations and the household fuse that bring electricity from the national transmission network to homes and businesses in London, the East and the South East of England¹. National Grid is both a transmission owner and, through National Grid Electricity Distribution, a distribution network operator for the Midlands, South West England and South Wales³.

The practical test is your address. If you live in London, the South East or Eastern England, UK Power Networks is your distribution network operator⁵. If you live in the Midlands, South West England or South Wales, National Grid is your distributor³. Neither company sells you electricity or sends your bill: that is your supplier, a separate business entirely.

Both companies are contactable on 105, the free national number for power cuts and electricity emergencies, which routes you to the network operator for your area⁷. UK Power Networks also publishes 0800 31 63 105, free from a landline or mobile and answered 24 hours a day¹.

Two companies, two jobs: who owns the wires and who runs the system

The distinction that matters to a household is between the network and the supply. The network is the physical infrastructure: the cables, the substations, the fuse at the point where electricity enters your home. UK Power Networks states that it owns the electrical fuse and the cables that bring electricity into your home and is responsible for maintaining them¹. That ownership is what makes the network operator, not the supplier, the company you call when the power fails.

Distribution network operators own and operate the distribution network of towers and cables that bring electricity from the national transmission network to homes and businesses¹⁰. They also own and operate the infrastructure that delivers power to your property¹¹. The Energy Networks Association represents the companies which operate the UK and Ireland's electricity and gas networks, the "wires and pipes"¹².

Above the distribution networks sits transmission. In England and Wales the system operator is National Grid, and in England and Wales the transmission network is owned and operated by National Grid¹³. National Grid plc is one of the world's largest utilities firms and is listed on the London stock exchange¹⁴. The National Energy System Operator is responsible for "planning and delivering the energy of today and the future" UK energy system, a separate function from owning the wires¹⁵.

Energy infrastructure and regulation is the responsibility of the UK Government, which sets the framework within which all of these companies operate¹⁶. For a household, the practical consequence is that no single company controls the whole chain from generation to socket. Independence at the meter is limited by design: the wires are a monopoly, the supplier is a market, and the system operator balances the whole.

Which network covers your address: UK Power Networks vs National Grid areas

Great Britain is divided into regional electricity network areas, each served by one distribution network operator. These companies operate the electricity network in different regions across Great Britain⁷. The map is not the same as the map of suppliers, and it is not the same as the map of gas networks.

UK Power Networks covers London, the East and the South East of England⁵. Other listings describe the same territory as London, South East and Eastern England, and as London, south-east and eastern England⁶. National Grid covers the Midlands, South West England and South Wales, and is the distributor for customers in the Midlands, Southwest England or South Wales³. National Grid Electricity Distribution operates networks across the Midlands, South West and South Wales⁵.

Elsewhere the picture differs. Northern Powergrid covers the North East, Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire⁵, and its two licensed entities serve North East England and Yorkshire⁸. Northern Gas Networks notes that if you live in Yorkshire or the North East, your electricity distribution network is likely to be Northern Powergrid¹⁸. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own arrangements, and the network operator there is a different company again.

For a household, the area determines who answers when the lights go out, who investigates repeated faults, and who arranges a connection or an upgrade. It does not determine who bills you, and it does not change when you switch supplier.

What a distribution network operator does for your home

The distribution network operator's job is to keep the local network working. That covers the fuse and incoming cables, the substations that step voltage down, the overhead lines on poles, and the underground cables in the street. UK Power Networks has thousands of electricity substations around London, the South East and East of England². It describes its local electricity networks in London, the East and the South East as 99% reliable, while noting that power cuts can occasionally happen for a range of reasons⁹.

When a fault occurs, the operator restores supply. Where a repair needs a generator, the company connects generators as close as possible to the local electricity substation, which may mean very close to a customer's home¹⁹. During generator use, the advice is to use less power than usual by switching off things you do not need¹⁹. UK Power Networks states that it cannot provide individual generators in the event of a national power emergency⁹.

The operator also holds rights over equipment on private land. To supply electricity to all homes and businesses within its area, it is sometimes necessary to place equipment, both overhead and underground, on private land²⁰. Where a substation is located on your property or within your building, the company will generally hold a lease or freehold interest in the land with associated access and cable rights²⁰. Access to a substation must be maintained and kept unrestricted at all times so that supplies can be restored quickly if a fault occurs²⁰. There is a common set of rates for claims if you have low voltage electricity equipment on your land²⁰.

Under the Electricity Supply Emergency Code, distribution network operators such as UK Power Networks, which delivers power from the national grid to homes and businesses, would be instructed to disconnect power supplies⁹. That is the limit of household independence on the network side: the connection is shared, and in a national emergency it can be curtailed.

National Grid's role: transmission and the system operator in England and Wales

National Grid's role splits in two, and the split is the source of most of the confusion. First, it owns and operates the electricity transmission network in England and Wales³. Second, through National Grid Electricity Distribution, it is the distribution network operator for the Midlands, South West England and South Wales³. A household in Birmingham therefore deals with National Grid as its local network operator, while a household in London deals with UK Power Networks and with National Grid only indirectly, through the transmission network that feeds the distribution network.

The transmission network is the high-voltage backbone. National Gas Transmission, a separate company, owns and operates the National Transmission System, a system formed of high pressure gas pipelines that transport gas from terminals and ports²¹. The electricity equivalent in England and Wales is National Grid's transmission business.

National Grid has also proposed changes to the way network capacity is added. It suggested that the installation of a third wire on current lines consisting of two wires on wooden poles would significantly increase the capacity of the existing network to meet requests for solar, wind and EV charge points and heat pump connection²². Its proposals included amendments to remove the 25% volume limit for increase in size of electricity installations, while retaining the height limitation, and removing the requirement for prior approval for certain works, including portable relay rooms and substation assets²².

For a household, transmission matters because it sets the ceiling on how much power can reach the distribution network in the first place. It is also the layer where the system operator balances supply and demand nationally, a function now carried out by the National Energy System Operator¹⁵.

Power cuts: who to call and what compensation applies

For an unplanned power cut, the number is 105. Ofgem advises households to call 105 for free, which will put you through to your electricity network operator²³. Network companies advise contacting your network company online or calling 105¹¹. UK Power Networks publishes 0800 31 63 105 or 105, free to call from a landline or mobile and answered 24 hours a day¹. National Grid publishes 0800 6783 105 or 105 for power cuts and emergencies²⁴.

Compensation is set by guaranteed standards. A power cut lasting longer than 12 continuous hours can trigger a payment⁴. Where fewer than 5,000 homes were affected, the initial payment is £100 if your power is off for more than 12 hours, with a further £45 for every 12 hours after that⁸. UK Power Networks states that once power is restored it will proactively contact all eligible customers, so there is no need for you to contact it⁴. It also publishes guidance on eligibility for compensation for multiple power cuts²⁵.

If you feel you have had too many power cuts recently, UK Power Networks asks you to contact it and says it will investigate²⁵. The Energy Ombudsman can help with unresolved complaints about network operators²⁶.

Connections, upgrades and meter moves: how each company handles them

New connections and capacity upgrades sit with the network operator, because they involve the wires rather than the supply. UK Power Networks sets out what is involved in connecting one to four properties for domestic and small business use²⁷, and publishes cost and time information for adding more power²⁸. Its phone lines for these enquiries are open Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5.00pm, and the team aims to respond to emails within 48 hours²⁸.

Meter moves are different. If you only need to relocate the meter, this can be arranged through your electricity supplier, the company you pay, which contacts the meter operator, and no work by UK Power Networks is required²⁹. When a new connection is made, the customer's electricity supplier is responsible for installing the electricity meter into the meter box³⁰. The network operator brings the supply to the property; the supplier fits the meter.

The National Energy System Operator publishes help and support for domestic customers and homeowners on connections³⁰. Where a connection involves work near existing equipment, the network operator's safety processes apply.

Safety, substations and working near power lines

Substations are the most visible piece of network equipment in a residential area, and they are not for public access. UK Power Networks has thousands of them across London, the South East and East of England². Where one sits on private land, the company generally holds a lease or freehold interest with access and cable rights, and access must be kept unrestricted at all times²⁰.

For anyone planning work, the network operator's safety advice is to request plans before digging³¹. UK Power Networks also publishes safety advice and resources covering equipment and cables³¹. The free emergency 24 hour number, 0800 31 63 105 or simply 105, is the route for reporting damage or danger³¹.

Priority services and extra support from each network

Network companies offer free priority support services to help people with additional needs¹¹. The Priority Services Register is a free service provided in case of power cuts¹⁰. Registration is not automatic: to sign up you will need to contact all your utility suppliers directly³².

UK Power Networks runs its own register and reports that in the past year users of the Priority Services Register gave its service a 94% customer satisfaction rating³³. It has partnered with experts including Scope and AgilityEco to expand the range of tailored support services available³³. Uptake varies sharply by area: Tunbridge Wells recorded 59.4%³³. The company has warned that residents risk missing out on free emergency support³³, and it maintains over 250 referral networks across its areas³⁴. It can be contacted about the register by email at psr@ukpowernetworks.co.uk, with lines open 24 hours³⁴.

The Met Office advises households to sign up for the Priority Services Register in case of power cuts, describing it as a free service¹⁰. In Wales, Carmarthenshire Council directs residents to contact all utility suppliers directly to join³².

For a household, the register is one of the few forms of support that is genuinely free and does not depend on switching supplier or owning equipment. It does not reduce dependence on the network, but it does change what happens when the network fails.