Welcome

Welcome to the home of innovation

We’re fostering a culture of innovation that serves our customers and stakeholders well, delivered by people who are passionate about innovation.

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Numbers that add up to positive change

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£0 million

of NIA funding going to third party innovators (75%) 

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0+

innovation projects brought into business as usual, more than any
other network 

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£0m+

of smart savings between 2015 and 2023

How are we doing it?

Innovation is a driving force behind our performance, ensuring that we are the safest, most reliable and cost-efficient electricity network in the UK, leading the way in tackling Net Zero and the Energy System Transition challenges, whilst protecting vulnerable customers. To help turn this vision into a reality, our innovation strategy has focused on six fundamental themes.

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Consumer vulnerability

Delivering best value and excellent service for all our customers, both in our normal operations and in the transition to Net Zero.

Outcomes

  • Understanding vulnerability through innovative data analytics
  • Digital inclusion
  • Making Net Zero inclusive
  • Policy
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Net zero and energy system transition

Facilitate the timely and cost-effective roll-out of low carbon technologies (LCT) and removing barriers impeding the Net Zero transition.

Outcomes

  • A network prepared for an uptake in LCTs.
  • Simplifying the LCT connections process for customers and
their installers
  • A fair and just transition for all
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Whole energy system

Looking beyond our own networks and developing our understanding of how we interact with and impact on the wider energy system.

Outcomes

  • Supporting local and national planning
  • Benefiting customers through improved interactions across the electricity system
  • Finding innovative ways to decarbonise transport
  • Finding innovative ways to decarbonise heat
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Flexibility and commercial evolution (DSO)

Our DSO philosophy is flexibility first, delivering affordable capacity through competition and choice; and maximising the utilisation of the network through the use of service solutions.

Outcomes

  • Driving forward market platform development
  • Innovating new flexibility product design
  • Testing and proving the case for real-time and Net Zero operations
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Proactive optimised assets and practices

Improved asset understanding to optimise the operation of our network.

Outcomes

  • Improve resilience
  • Improve maintenance activities
  • Maintain asset health
  • Increase capacity / maximise utilisation
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Data and digitalisation

Using data to leverage value and optimise our network

Outcomes

  • Harnessing the power of emerging technologies
  • Optimise the use of our existing assets
  • Facilitating the sharing of our data

Our Innovation Projects

OVERVIEW

The Net zero and energy system transition is designed to drive the innovation needed to transform gas and electricity networks for a low-carbon future.

OVERVIEW

The Flexibility and commercial evolution (DSO) is designed to drive the innovation needed to transform gas and electricity networks for a low-carbon future.

OVERVIEW

The Proactive optimised assets and practices is designed to drive the innovation needed to transform gas and electricity networks for a low-carbon future.

OVERVIEW

The Data and digitalisation is designed to drive the innovation needed to transform gas and electricity networks for a low-carbon future.

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Share your ideas

If you have an idea that could reshape or revolutionise the way we work, we want to hear from you.

Submit an idea
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