Upgrades to lead the charge on cleaner and cheaper energy in Scotland
E lectricity powers nearly every aspect of modern life, with a recent National Grid poll revealing the average UK home uses no fewer than 13 electrical devices. This, with the inexorably rising uptake in electric cars and heat pumps, means national demand is expected to double by 2050.
To meet growing consumer requirements and enable a clean power future, the renewable energy industry is mapping out where new generation sources are developed, alongside identifying growing demand areas, such as data centres and industrial zones. However, ultimately none of this can work without a strong transmission infrastructure.
That's why the mantra 'there's no transition without transmission' is now driving the largest electricity grid investment since its original construction in the early Twentieth Century.
'If you think about the rationale behind why the electricity transmission network was built – and the demand – it's certainly a very different picture now. The generation picture is also very different. Back in the day it was dominated by coal, nuclear and gas-fired stations,' says Nicola Connelly.
As CEO of SP Energy Networks Nicola Connelly leads all transmission activity for central and southern Scotland and, as the second largest distribution operator in Great Britain, is responsible for ensuring 12 million homes and businesses benefit from a safe, secure and resilient network.
She notes: 'Now we have offshore and onshore windfarms and we have growth in solar production and battery storage, we have a lot more distributed generation coming from different places and really big demand centres in different pockets of the country.
'If you think about wind, in particular, a lot of the generation is in Scotland, however you have a huge amount of demand in the south of England.
'So we need to build super highways to get the electricity to where
it's needed.
'That's really what is driving the huge investment in the grid. And this is all part of that energy transition and the drive towards clean power in 2030 and beyond.'
Collectively, the UK's three transmission owners are already preparing for an £80 billion investment as part of the upcoming price control period starting in April 2026. Each operator has submitted initial business plans to Ofgem detailing required infrastructure upgrades.
'For us the investment is around £11bn. Right across the country we're going to be either upgrading and replacing old circuits or building brand new ones to make sure we can connect the new renewable energy and we can get access to that from a demand perspective.
'However, it goes beyond that: our investment will also drive economic growth and create jobs. We will be directly employing about 1400 additional staff and supporting another 11,000 more jobs across the UK, as we head into T3.
'The other transmission owners will be in a similar position so you have that wider impact, which will also boost the wider supply chain.
"We've been speaking to a lot of our suppliers and giving them insight into what that order book looks like so they can invest in their workforce and think about what that growth actually means for them.
'So it's a massive boost from an economic perspective as well as driving that transition.'
(Image: CEO of SP Energy Networks Nicola Connelly leads transmission network activity)
Energy security is another major impetus for much needed change. The war in Ukraine exposed vulnerabilities in global energy supply chains, especially gas imports from Europe. By increasing domestic generation capacity, it's hoped the UK can reduce its dependency on foreign energy and shield consumers from
volatile global prices.
'The more we can disconnect from that and have generation within the UK and have a bit more control of it, we will drive down prices for consumers in the short to medium term,' says Connelly.
Another potential positive impact will be on constraint costs – the payments made to wind farms to curtail generation when the grid can't handle the power.
'These costs ultimately impact customers. So, if we can build out the grid and create super-highways, with vast sub-sea cables on the east and west coast of Scotland and down into England and Wales, it means you don't have that constraint and can get energy to where it's needed.
'This means the constraint cost doesn't hit customer bills and they save money.'
Community involvement also plays a vital role in the enhancement of infrastructure. With transmission projects often affecting local areas most, SP Energy Networks is proactively engaging with communities to minimise disruption and deliver lasting benefits.
'We spend a lot of time talking to local communities and educating them on why we're doing it and working with them to look at alternative solutions and do as much as we can to mitigate the impact,' says Connelly.
'The UK Government and Ofgem recently announced the UK community benefit funding. We estimate that we will have in the region of over £100m to distribute to our communities.
'That's really helpful. There's a really good example of that in our big sub-sea cable project (Eastern Green Link 1), which is a joint venture with National Grid.
'We announced an £8m fund split between north and south communities and we've been working with them about how we would spend that.
'We are supporting local communities through capacity building workshops and activities to help them strategically identify what their area needs.'
With many consumers still unaware of the rationale for a massive infrastructure effort and the link between new pylons and cheaper, greener power, public education remains a key gap.
To address this, a transmission owners media campaign through the Energy Networks Association aims to better inform the public about why improved infrastructure is necessary and how it supports the UK's broader climate and energy goals.
'Ultimately, it's about making sure we're future-proofing the grid,' notes Connelly, 'and building it out in a way that we're thinking about what that demand is going to look like in 2050 and where generation might be. So we need to also be thinking about technology and flexibility.'
This makes upskilling the workforce essential, especially to support long-term employment in emerging sectors, and so the sector is partnering with education providers and industry bodies such as EU Skills to develop training initiatives that align with evolving technology needs. This includes STEM education and technical training for next-generation grid technologies such as High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) systems.
'We've been working right across the sector and with EU skills and looking at how we can bring together the industry and our wider supply chain to develop training.
'A good example is our Dealain House training school in Cumbernauld.
'We're planning to revitalise it in order to establish a world-leading energy training and research campus, leveraging its unique co-location with the Power Networks Demonstration Centre (PNDC) and the National HVDC Centre.
'This will energise our decarbonisation economy and produce a pipeline of energy innovation and training that could be used to address global climate change challenges.
'However, it's not only about the engineering resource because a lot of the people we're looking to employ will be site managers, construction workers, project managers, lawyers, accountants – that's a whole range
of skills we're actually growing within the industry and the wider supply chain to support economic growth, which is great news for
the country.'
Connelly believes such investment not only in infrastructure but in skills will allow the UK to become a powerhouse from an industrial perspective.
'Because you're bringing those skills in, you're bringing in long-term jobs. We're very focused on 2030 because of the Government's clean power mission but a lot of our projects go way beyond that.
'The grid we are building is for the next generation and for the generation after that!'
---------------------------------------------------
Partnership to deliver electricity superhighway
WORK has begun on Eastern Green Link 1 (EGL1), a major subsea electricity project designed to expand the power grid and support regional development.
A joint venture between SP Energy Networks and National Grid Electricity Transmission, it will transport enough green electricity to power around two million homes through a 190km high-voltage direct current (HVDC) cable beneath the North Sea.
(Image: National Grid's Carl Trowell SP Energy Networks CEO Nicola Connelly and MSP Paul McLennan)
The £2.5 billion project will see the cable run between Torness in East Lothian and Hawthorn Pit in County Durham. At both landfall points, converter stations will be built to switch electricity between direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC), enabling more efficient transmission over long distances.
EGL1 builds on the success of the Western Link, another HVDC subsea interconnector jointly delivered by SP Transmission and National Grid Electricity Transmission.
The £1.2 billion initiative spans approximately 420km, including 385km undersea, linking Hunterston on Scotland's west coast to Flintshire Bridge on the Wales-England border.
It is the world's highest-capacity single subsea electricity link and was the first bi-directional subsea interconnector, allowing electricity to flow in both directions. Planning is also underway for Eastern Green Link 4 (EGL4), a second east coast HVDC link that will provide an invaluable connection spanning 500km.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
14 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Major energy supplier to give away FREE electricity today – here's when to use your appliances
We've explained how much you can save below GOOD ENERGY Major energy supplier to give away FREE electricity today – here's when to use your appliances Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A MAJOR energy supplier is giving millions of customers free electricity today. Octopus Energy customers can enjoy an hour of free usage between 2pm and 3pm this afternoon. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 When the session starts, you can ramp up your electricity use to maximise savings To take part, you need to be an Octopus Energy customer and signed up to OctoPlus, its rewards scheme. You'll also need a smart meter that sends half-hourly readings. During these hour-long "Saving Sessions," any electricity you use beyond your normal consumption will be free. For example, if you typically use 1kWh of electricity during that hour, any extra usage - whether it's charging devices, running the washing machine, or boiling the kettle - will be credited back to your account. All customers with a smart meter, including prepay ones, will receive an alert the day before each session. When the session starts, you can ramp up your electricity use to maximise savings. The big question is, how much can you actually save? According to Ofgem, a typical household uses between eight and 10kWh of electricity per day. On Octopus Energy's standard variable tariff, electricity costs roughly 27p per kWh. So if you use 1kWh more electricity during a free electricity session, your account will be credited with 27p. The bizarre reason my smart meter won't work & I miss out on cheaper bills If you use 2kWh extra, you'll get 54p, and for 3kWh extra, you'll receive 81p. The more you use, the more you save. For example, if you were to use 5kWh of electricity during the free hour - by running your laundry, dishwasher, kettle, cooker, and hoover - you'd be credited with £1.35. Of course the exact amount you'll earn from taking part in the scheme will depend on the unit rate charged on your tariff and how much extra energy you use during each session. How do I calculate my energy bill? BELOW we reveal how you can calculate your own energy bill. To calculate how much you pay for your energy bill, you must find out your unit rate for gas and electricity and the standing charge for each fuel type. The unit rate will usually be shown on your bill in p/ standing charge is a daily charge that is paid 365 days of the year - irrespective of whether or not you use any gas or electricity. You will then need to note down your own annual energy usage from a previous bill. Once you have these details, you can work out your gas and electricity costs separately. Multiply your usage in kWh by the unit rate cost in p/kWh for the corresponding fuel type - this will give you your usage costs. You'll then need to multiply each standing charge by 365 and add this figure to the totals for your usage - this will then give you your annual costs. Divide this figure by 12, and you'll be able to determine how much you should expect to pay each month from April 1. What do other supplier's offer? British Gas British Gas' Peak Save Sundays scheme offers millions of customers half-price electricity for using their energy during certain hours. It offers qualifying customers half price electricity between 11am and 4pm every Sunday. The energy firm said over 650,000 customers had already signed up to the scheme, saving a combined £13million between them. You can sign up to the scheme by visiting The supplier will then be in touch with you if your application is successful. After that, your savings will appear as "PeakSave Credit" on your next energy bill or online statement. Be aware that you can only sign up to the scheme if you have a smart credit or prepayment meter that can send half-hourly meter readings. If you don't have a smart meter, don't worry, British Gas will install one for free in your home. EDF Energy EDF is brought back its popular Sunday Saver challenge this summer, offering customers a chance to slash their bills by earning free electricity. The offer kicked off on Monday, June 2 and runs throughout the month, giving households the chance to rack up free power to use. Five Sundays of up to 16 hours of free electricity are up for grabs. That's a total of 80 hours of free electricity over the two month period. The dates include June 15, June 22 and June 29, followed by July 6 and July 13. However, customers must have signed up before 11.59pm on Sunday, June 1 to take part in the latest scheme. Next Next is giving new and existing customers free electricity on every bank holiday until March 2026. The next one is the August bank holiday on August 25. Next said its offer could save households £3.50 every bank holiday - which would save you around £21 over the course of a year. To get the deal you need to be signed up for the supplier's Pledge tariff. Ovo Energy Ovo Energy offers customers the chance to win free energy if they reduce their consumption during peak times. The Power Move offer gives customers the chance to win up to £2,000 of free energy if they use 85% or more of their energy at off-peak times. For every month a customer's peak energy usage is less than 15% they are entered into a prize draw. Five customers win the top prize of £2,000 worth of energy to use over one year, with 200 winning £50 prizes and 22,850 receiving £2 of free energy. To sign up visit Scottish Power Scottish Power's Power Saver scheme gives customers the chance to access half-price electricity between 11am and 4pm every Saturday and Sunday. Customers need to register to become a Power Saver to have half of the cost of the energy they used during these hours refunded. The supplier will also occasionally launch an ad-hoc Power Saver events during the week. You need to have a smart meter to register to become a Power Saver. To sign up visit:
The Sun
2 days ago
- The Sun
Exact dates millions of energy customers must make essential bill check ahead of price cap change
ENERGY bills are set to fall by 7% in July, bringing much-needed relief to millions of households. The average annual gas and electricity bill will drop from £1,849 to £1,720, saving a typical household about £129 a year. 1 The savings will provide relief to millions, as over 22million households on standard variable tariffs are directly affected by the price cap, which is updated every three months. From July 1, electricity will cost around 25.73p per kWh with a daily standing charge of 51.37p. Gas will cost around 6.33p per kWh with a 29.82p standing charge. However, many might still pay more than Ofgem 's headline figure because the cap limits the prices you pay not your total bill. Ofgem's estimate assumes typical usage of 2,700 kWh of electricity and 11,500 kWh of gas per year. Using more means a higher bill. Households on standard variable tariffs without a smart meter should make it a priority to submit their electricity and gas meter readings to their supplier as close to July 1 as possible. This ensures they are billed accurately at the new, lower rates. Failing to submit readings could mean some of your usage after this date is charged at the previous, higher rates. Suppliers who have not received meter readings rely on estimated usage, which could lead to households being overcharged. How to take a meter reading However, even if you take your meter readings near July 1, you don't need to submit them immediately. Many suppliers allow extra time for customers to provide their readings. Some offer a few days after the price cap changes to submit backdated readings, while others may allow up to a week or more. We've explained the deadlines for submitting your reading to your supplier and provided guidance on how to read your meter. When to submit a meter reading You should try and take a meter reading as close to today as possible to show how much energy you used up until this date. Once you have taken the reading you have a certain amount of time in which to send it to your supplier. The amount of time you have to submit it depends on who your energy supplier is. For example, British Gas customers have until July 14 to send in a reading. They can do this online, via its app, telephone or web form. At Ovo Energy you can send in your reading in your online account, via its app or by telephone and you need to do so by July 11. Next customers need to submit a meter reading before July 6 through their online account, via the app, telephone or email. Households who are supplied by Octopus Energy have until July 8 to submit their reading online, through a web form, via the app or by email. EDF customers need to send in a reading before July 10. They can do so online, via its app, online form, email Whatsapp, text or over the phone. At Utility Warehouse, customers can give a reading in the five days leading up to July 1 and submit it in their online account, through its app or by phone. How to take a meter reading The easiest way to take a meter reading is to take a photo of your gas and electricity meters. This means you have evidence in case you need to dispute a bill. You can send in your meter reading online via your energy account. Some providers will also let you send in the numbers by text or through their app. Check which options your supplier offers on their website. Electricity meters If you have a digital electricity meter then you will see a row of six numbers. Five of them will be in black and one will be in red. Write down the five numbers in black, which are shown from left to right. If you are on an economy 7 or 10 tariff, which gives you cheaper electricity at night, then you will have two rows of numbers. You need both to take a reading. If you have a traditional dial meter then you need to read the first five dials from left to right. Ignore any red dials. If the pointer is between two numbers then write down the lowest figure. If it is between nine and zero then write down the number nine. Gas meters If you have a digital metric gas meter showing five numbers followed by a decimal point then you need to write down the first five numbers. If you have a digital imperial meter then you will see four black numbers and two red numbers. Write down the four black numbers only. If you have a digital gas meter, follow the same steps as the digital electricity meter. Smart meters If you have a smart meter then you do not need to send your supplier a meter reading as it will be sent automatically. Check that your smart meter is in "smart mode" and is working properly to make sure you are accurately charged. What energy bill help is available? There's a number of different ways to get help paying your energy bills if you're struggling to get by. If you fall into debt, you can always approach your supplier to see if they can put you on a repayment plan before putting you on a prepayment meter. This involves paying off what you owe in instalments over a set period. If your supplier offers you a repayment plan you don't think you can afford, speak to them again to see if you can negotiate a better deal. Several energy firms have schemes available to customers struggling to cover their bills. But eligibility criteria vary depending on the supplier and the amount you can get depends on your financial circumstances. For example, British Gas or Scottish Gas customers struggling to pay their energy bills can get grants worth up to £2,000. British Gas also offers help via its British Gas Energy Trust and Individuals Family Fund. You don't need to be a British Gas customer to apply for the second fund. EDF, Octopus Energy and Scottish Power all offer grants to struggling customers too. Thousands of vulnerable households are missing out on extra help and protections by not signing up to the Priority Services Register (PSR). The service helps support vulnerable households, such as those who are elderly or ill. Some of the perks include being given advance warning of blackouts, free gas safety checks and extra support if you're struggling. Get in touch with your energy firm to see if you can apply.
South Wales Argus
3 days ago
- South Wales Argus
RTS energy meter switch off to be delayed, says Government
The move, which campaign group the End Fuel Poverty Coalition said was 'doomed for failure', was due to take place on June 30. In its place, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) said there will be a 'managed and more controlled start' to the RTS phaseout. As a result, they said, those with an affected meter will not face any unexpected disruption to their heating or hot water at the end of the month. What are RTS meters? The RTS system, used by older electricity meters to control heating and hot water, uses a longwave radio frequency to switch between peak and off-peak rates. The technology is becoming obsolete and energy companies had a deadline to change their customers' meters by June 30. However, firms have admitted that current rates of replacement meant it was likely that thousands of RTS meters would not have been upgraded before the technology is switched off. Energy UK, which represents firms, said 392,000 households still had the meters as of mid April. Industry regulator Ofgem has said the risks associated with not having a functioning meter include heating and hot water left continually on or off, electric storage heaters charging at the wrong time of day, possibly leading to higher bills, and the supplier being unable to confirm electricity usage during peak or off-peak times. Recommended reading: In a written statement on Wednesday, energy minister Miatta Fahnbulleh said the pace of RTS replacements by industry had been 'too slow', leaving 314,935 RTS meters still in homes as of May 30. She said: 'My department has worked to ensure industry will pursue a more controlled approach to the phaseout, beginning with a very small number of homes and businesses in carefully targeted local areas. During this process, Government and Ofgem will closely monitor supplier readiness to ensure the process is smooth and vulnerable consumers are identified and protected. 'These steps will help ensure suppliers are ready to respond quickly in case of any issues and that working families and the elderly are protected throughout the phaseout process. 'The Government is working closely with industry and Ofgem to ensure this next period is planned effectively and consumers, particularly those who are vulnerable, are protected.' She added: 'Suppliers will continue contacting consumers to book replacement appointments and consumers are urged to respond as soon as possible. 'In most cases, this will involve replacing the RTS meter with a smart meter, which can work in the same way as RTS meters, with automatic peak and off-peak rates, and the ability to turn heating and hot water systems on and off, ensuring minimal disruption to households. 'In advance of any phaseout activity in their area, households and businesses will be contacted by their energy supplier to inform them well ahead of time, if their meters will be affected.' Simon Francis, co-ordinator of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, which wrote to Ofgem and the Government to raise concerns about the pace and communication of the meter replacement effort, said: 'The RTS switch-off process was doomed to failure after it became clear that the deadline was simply unachievable. 'Ministers are right to be getting a grip on the situation and holding Ofgem and the energy industry to account. 'We now need to see a plan published that sets out how the gradual switch-off will take place, including which regions will be affected and when. 'Crucially, we also need firm and binding reassurances that no customers will be left without heating or hot water, and that no household will face higher bills as a result of the changes.'
