Business model
How we add value
Resources and relationships
Physical
The seamless provision of our service depends on advanced, cutting-edge equipment. We engage creatively with leading suppliers to guarantee that every element of our resources and infrastructure is up to standard, ensuring a safe and reliable service for our customers.
Our people
The success of UK Power Networks is driven by its people. We appreciate everyone who contributes to our company. Our goal is to create a positive and inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive and find fulfilment.
Social and relationships
We deliver a vital service that our customers and communities depend on every day. We are deeply committed to our social responsibilities, including providing support for customers whose circumstances mean they are vulnerable. As part of a broader, evolving energy system, we recognise that meaningful progress can only be achieved by collaborating with others to shape the future.
Intellectual
Innovation drives our achievements at UK Power Networks. Over the years, we have assembled an innovation team that has created cutting-edge tools, techniques, and systems, reshaping our business and the industry. The intellectual property and innovative culture at UK Power Networks are crucial to our success.
What we do
Distribute power
It is our job to ensure that the power generated at power plants and transmitted by National Grid is distributed safely and efficiently across power lines to our 19 million customers. To date approximately 4 GW of large scale renewable generation is connected to our network. This is achieved through the electricity grid which is a system of electricity substations, transformers and power lines.
70,736 GWh
electricity distributed: 28% of Great Britain’s total electricity distributed.
Maintain the network
A network of over 190,000 km of power lines requires constant vigilance and maintenance, as does the whole system of substations and transformers. We aim to anticipate problems before they arise and if a fault does occur, minimise the number of customers that are affected. We have teams of engineers who will attend and fix faults quickly and efficiently.
191,523 km
of network maintained.
Connecting businesses and homes
Our customers include royal palaces, tower blocks, factories, farms and more besides. We supply them all with electricity at the flick of a switch.
8.5m
homes and businesses with more than 23,000 new connections included from 2022/23.
Serve our customers
We work hard to balance the needs of all our customers, especially those in the most vulnerable circumstances. We aim to provide value for money as well as a safe, resilient network that is ready for a Net Zero future.
19m
people served.
What makes us different
Clear vision and purpose
Everyone at UK Power Networks knows what our vision and purpose are and understands their role in realising them. Across the company, we establish targets with incentives to ensure we are all united in pursuit of the common goals we recognise.
A safe, reliable, resilient network
UK Power Networks has established itself as one of the nation’s most reliable Distribution Network Operators (DNO). In 2023/24, our network achieved a reliability performance of 99.99%. We are the only DNO to have been assessed against our alignment with BSI Guidance on organisational resilience (BS 65000:2014) and have consistently been the safest DNO, with the lowest number of Lost Time Injuries for nine of the past 11 years.
Our employees
At UK Power Networks, we have cultivated a distinctive performance culture focused on continuous improvement and driven by the goal of exceeding customer satisfaction in innovative ways. Our employees instinctively empathise with our customers, bringing this culture to life in their everyday work. Diversity and inclusion are fundamental to our ethos, and we foster an environment where employees can learn, grow, and excel. We are proud to be one of a select group of companies that warrants a Platinum award from Investors in People (IiP).
Customers at the heart of our business
Our business consistently strives to view the world from our customers’ perspective. This year, our customer service measure achieved our best ever satisfaction score of 94%, and once again, Ofgem ranked us as the top DNO for customer satisfaction.
Transparent and accountable
As a monopoly provider of an essential service, UK Power Networks is dedicated to transparency for anyone seeking to understand our operations. We welcome such scrutiny. We encourage all stakeholders, especially our customers, to closely examine all aspects of our business.
Value for customers’ money
We fully recognise that our customers do not have a choice in their electricity distributor, which is why we are committed to offering them the best possible value for their money. Our focus is always on finding ways to save our customers money. UK Power Networks’ annual domestic charges are £88.22 which is 22% lower than the industry average.
Always innovating
We are always innovating to improve the reliability, affordability, cleanliness, and safety of our service. We are always looking for fresh approaches, including advanced technology solutions for achieving Net Zero challenges, or ways to manage our business, such as our creation of a legally separate, independent Distribution System Operator (DSO).
Delivering value for...
Partners
First DNO
to share historical data with water companies. This strategic collaboration to share historical data with Thames Water and Affinity Water, resulted in over 86,000 more registrations to our Priority Service Register
Customers
Ranked 1st
Ofgem ranked us No.1 for our Broad Measure of Customer Satisfaction with our best ever score of 94%
Communities
105,528
Supported more than 100,000 customers in the transition to Net Zero through support such as digital skills training and providing tailored action plans to improve energy efficiency in homes
Colleagues
Ranked 2nd
in the Inclusive Top 50 UK Employers List and remain in the Top 10 list of Best Big Companies to Work For list
Governments and non-government organisations
113 local authorities
We reviewed and published all 133 local authorities’ decarbonisation plans, providing a single view and clarity on where further information is needed
