Grid operator says lights will stay on this winter despite staff concerns

Supply “secure” this winter, says operator

Households and businesses across Britain should not expect power cuts this winter, according to the National Energy System Operator (NESO), the body responsible for running the electricity network. In its winter outlook report, NESO said the system was prepared and “resilient to the challenges it may face” over the colder months, with supplies expected to remain secure throughout.

The reassurance comes despite NESO acknowledging there could be “tight days” during the winter period. On such days, it said it may issue notices to power producers asking for additional generation to be made available. NESO was clear that this kind of notice is routine and not a warning that power cuts are imminent.

Deborah Petterson, director of whole energy system resilience at NESO, said: “While we never take resilience for granted, households and businesses can be confident that Great Britain’s electricity system remains secure, reliable and among the most resilient in the world.”

Separate gas report flags rising demand

In a separate report, National Gas, the private company that owns and operates the UK’s gas network, said it also expected to have sufficient supply to meet demand this winter. However, it forecast that gas use for power generation would increase at peak demand times, pointing to the “intermittent” nature of renewable sources such as wind and solar.

Wind was the largest single source of Britain’s electricity last year, generating almost 30% of power, narrowly ahead of gas.

Investigation finds “stress and concern” among staff

The winter outlook was published alongside the findings of an independent investigation into practices at NESO, carried out by law firm Eversheds Sutherland. The probe found “high levels of stress and concern” among staff in NESO’s Electricity National Control Centre over the state of the energy industry and the longer-term challenge of keeping supply balanced.

Staff told investigators that traditional gas-fired generation was “easier to manage” than renewables, which were described as “less flexible” and making the job of matching supply with demand “more difficult”. The report also identified a “significant disconnect” between control room staff and NESO’s senior leadership, with multiple witnesses saying executives did not fully understand the pressures faced on the frontline.

The investigation followed claims made in July by Conservative shadow energy secretary Clare Coutinho, who said a whistle-blower had alleged NESO was “hiding information about how securely our grid is being run”, including claims that staff were encouraged to alter records during a period of extreme heat in June. Eversheds said it did not substantiate these specific allegations but did identify “cultural, governance and control issues” that it described as significant findings in their own right.

What happens next

NESO chief executive Fintan Slye said the investigation had identified “areas where we could improve how colleagues can raise concerns and how we respond to them”, and pledged to act on the recommendations alongside trade unions. For consumers, the immediate message from both NESO and National Gas is that supply is expected to meet demand this winter, with any “tight days” managed through routine measures rather than disruption to household electricity.