Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Distribution announced on 4 March 2026 that it has become the first Distribution Network Operator to use smart video technology in its customer connections process, following a two-year pilot. The company said the tool, from software firm Vyntelligence, embeds AI-powered video analysis into the process for new connections, network upgrades and alterations, including work needed before heat pumps and electric vehicle chargers are installed1.
Under the arrangement, customers use their smartphones to film where cables would need to be installed, guided step by step by the platform. SSEN said this reduces the need for site visits, because its teams can assess the job from the footage before attending. The company said customers can complete property surveys in minutes, and that the approach should mean work is planned and delivered more quickly1.
"A successful two-year pilot of this technology has proven its effectiveness, so we're now ready to roll it out more widely with confidence to customers across our network areas."
SSEN said customers who do not have a smartphone, have difficulty using the platform, or would prefer not to use it can still request an in-person visit. It also said Vyntelligence encrypts all submitted content at every stage and that access is restricted to authorised personnel who make customer connection decisions1. Vyntelligence co-founder and CEO Kapil Singhal said the partnership aimed to make the process more inclusive and achieve faster connections1.
The announcement did not give figures for how many customers have used video surveys, how much time or money the process saves, or which parts of SSEN's network areas the rollout covers first. No start date for wider availability beyond the 4 March announcement was reported, and no targets for take-up were given1.
| Item | Detail as reported |
|---|---|
| Announced | 4 March 2026 |
| Operator | SSEN Distribution |
| Technology partner | Vyntelligence (Vyn) |
| Pilot length | Two years |
| Uses named | Heat pump connections, EV charger connections, general connection upgrades and alterations |
| Alternative offered | In-person visit on request |
Why it matters for households
A connection upgrade is often the step that decides whether a home can run a heat pump or a home charger at the capacity it needs, and the pace of that step sits with the local distribution network operator. Anything that shortens the assessment stage can shorten the wait between deciding on a low carbon technology and being able to use it. For a household, the practical change here is who gathers the initial information: instead of an engineer visiting to survey the property, the resident films it. That shifts some of the work onto the customer, in exchange for what SSEN describes as a simpler and potentially briefer process1.
The wider context is pressure on connection capacity and the queue of projects and properties waiting for network work, which is the subject of ongoing connections reform. SSEN frames video surveys as a way to manage demand for network upgrades without adding site visits, and says fewer engineer journeys should lower pollution1. The company has not reported how much of the national supply connection workload this approach could absorb.
What happens next
SSEN said it is ready to roll the technology out more widely across its network areas, having completed the pilot. No timetable, coverage sequence or performance measures for that wider rollout were reported1.