[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":120},["ShallowReactive",2],{"FBc8GuXIks":3},{"data":4},{"id":5,"status":6,"title":7,"split":8,"strap":9,"intro":10,"blocks":11,"stats":88,"commitments":107,"next":108},17,"published","Network reliability",null,"Maintaining reliability","\u003Cp class=\"p1\">With the growth in low-carbon technologies powered by electricity, our customers are ever-more reliant on a reliable power supply. We are working tirelessly to deliver that.\u003C/p>\n\u003Chr>\n\u003Cp class=\"p1\">At UK Power Networks we pride ourselves on the reliability of our networks. Keeping the lights on is a key priority, whatever the weather or nature throws at us.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp class=\"p1\">Most of our customers had an excellent service from us in 2023/24, but the power supply for a small number of people in our area of operations fell below our usual standard. Some of the interruptions to our service were caused by a small number of large, unrelated events. Other power cuts were caused by equipment malfunctioning. We are taking a careful look at our network and operational processes to find out why these events happened and why they had such an impact, and to do all we can to ensure our service is back to the excellent levels that we expect.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp class=\"p1\">Our record shows us to be one of the most reliable DNO groups in the country, out-performing Ofgem performance targets by over 30% in the last regulatory period, RIIO-ED1. We are determined to continue to deserve our reputation for reliability in the current period, ED2. Our push for ever-greater reliability continues to focus on two main fronts: finding new ways to prevent faults rather than waiting for them to need to be repaired, and making greater use of remote control to restore customers’ supplies more quickly and efficiently.\u003C/p>\n\u003Ch4 class=\"p2\">Automating to improve network reliability\u003C/h4>\n\u003Cp class=\"p1\">Automation of the network is a crucial element in how we ensure that it runs smoothly and, when there is an interruption, it helps us get up and running again quickly without the need for manual intervention. Our deployment of remote-control technology increased considerably this year, and this is set to continue. We have now fitted over 14,000 of our substations with this kit to restore the electricity network remotely. We have the ambitious target of installing remote control equipment in over 5,000 substations across our area of operation, for both our HV (High Voltage) and LV (Low Voltage) networks. This involves, for example, retro-fitting remote switches on some older HV switchgear, replacing some with newer remote controllable ones and installing LV reclosers.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp class=\"p1\">We have about 3,000 sets of LV reclosers, which we routinely deploy across our LV network. These reclosers quickly restore the power supply after a transient LV fault and collect enough information about the fault to enable us carry out repairs.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp class=\"p1\">The next step in our proactive repair strategy is to introduce LV fault monitors. Whereas we use the LV reclosers to target specific LV circuits, we mostly use the LV fault monitors to keep a check on every LV cable coming out of the substation. The LV monitor records any disturbance it detects on the network and identifies where a fault is developing. That means we can find it and fix it before it becomes a problem for customers. The monitors also help us to keep any eye on network loads at any time. That means that when people are connecting low-carbon technology such as EVs and heat pumps, we have a better idea of how this is affecting the network, so we can be better prepared to handle the additional load. We made an important pledge to our customers that they won’t see a reduction in the quality of their supply as a result of our Net Zero commitments. The project to install 5,000 LV monitors over the course of ED2 (up to 2028) is central to that promise.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp class=\"p1\">In 2023/24, our LV reclosers were used 2,417 times, which means that we avoided 1.27 Customer Interruptions per 100 connected customers and 2.09 Customer Minutes Lost per connected customer.\u003C/p>\n\u003Chr>\n\u003Ch4 class=\"p2\">Worst served customers\u003C/h4>\n\u003Cp class=\"p1\">The focus of our programmes to continually improve the reliability of our network tends to be on reducing both the frequency and duration of power cuts for the majority of our customers. Nevertheless, we also want to address the position of the few and far between customers – fewer than 0.3% of them – who experience repeated power cuts. In the previous regulatory period (ED1), customers who had 12 high voltage faults in a three-year period, including a minimum of three faults in each year, were classed as Worst Served Customers according to Ofgem’s definition. This criterion has now changed, with the minimum three faults in each year reducing to two.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp class=\"p1\">This change means a 70% increase in the number of customers falling into the 'worst served' category. We have a programme of improvements to address these shortcomings, involving considerable capital investment, such as putting overhead lines underground. In the last year we have designed and delivered 40 such initiatives to support these poorly served customers, which is the approximate number we completed in the whole eight-year period of ED1.\u003C/p>\n\u003Chr>\n\u003Ch4 class=\"p2\">Technical innovations supporting network resilience\u003C/h4>\n\u003Cp class=\"p1\">Our innovations team is always striving to improve the reliability of our network, and 2023/24 has seen the introduction of a range of new technologies designed to make the network more resilient. These include satellite technology (see case study, above), robot dogs, and drones to spot faults on the line.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp class=\"p1\">Some of the tunnels we need to inspect are too small or unstable to send people into them, so we send the robotic dog, Spot, which is about the size of a Labrador. It goes into these tight spaces to capture camera footage and thermal imaging. These are combined with a new machine-learning platform using historical data to make sure underground cables remain reliable. The data also allow us to assess how quickly the infrastructure’s condition changes. Initial results revealed Spot’s potential to reduce the time taken to do maintenance inspections by up to 50%.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp class=\"p1\">We are also trialling the use of drones, piloted by trained UK Power Networks specialists, to locate faults on overhead lines. Previously, operational staff walked the length of such lines to find reported faults, and the drones save a great deal of time, meaning we can fix the faults more quickly and it’s safer than foot patrols.\u003C/p>",[12,76],{"item":13},{"id":14,"title":15,"intro":16,"pages":17,"items":18,"case":75},19,"Our performance in numbers","\u003Cp>Customer Interruptions (CI) are the number of customers interrupted per 100 customers on our network.\u003Cbr>Customer Minutes Lost (CML) is the average length of time customers are without power, for power cuts lasting three minutes or longer.\u003C/p>",[],[19,33,47,61],{"id":20,"status":6,"sort":8,"title":21,"key":8,"fkey":14,"body":8,"cta":8,"intro":8,"stats":22},62,"UK Power Networks average",[23,28],{"stat_id":24},{"id":25,"figure":26,"caption":27,"stat_fid":8},26,"37.6 CIs","Our power cut performance has improved by 43% since 2010/11 when our CIs were at 66.1, which means customers now see an interruption on average once every 32 months, compared to an average of once every 18 months in 2010/11.",{"stat_id":29},{"id":30,"figure":31,"caption":32,"stat_fid":8},27,"29.0 CMLs","A customer connected to our network will be off supply on average for less than half an hour per year. This is a 55% improvement over 2010/11, when the average duration was 64 minutes.",{"id":34,"status":6,"sort":8,"title":35,"key":8,"fkey":14,"body":8,"cta":8,"intro":8,"stats":36},63,"East",[37,42],{"stat_id":38},{"id":39,"figure":40,"caption":41,"stat_fid":8},28,"46.3 CIs","Our power cut performance has improved by 46% since 2010/11, which means our Eastern network customers now see an interruption on average once every 26 months compared to an average of once every 14 months.",{"stat_id":43},{"id":44,"figure":45,"caption":46,"stat_fid":8},29,"35.6 CMLs","A customer connected to our Eastern network will be off supply for under half an hour per year. This is a 51% improvement on 2010/11, when the average duration was 72 minutes.",{"id":48,"status":6,"sort":8,"title":49,"key":8,"fkey":14,"body":8,"cta":8,"intro":8,"stats":50},64,"London",[51,56],{"stat_id":52},{"id":53,"figure":54,"caption":55,"stat_fid":8},30,"12.2 CIs","Our power cut performance has improved by 50% since 2010/11, which means our London network customers now see an interruption on average once every eight years compared to an average of once every four years.",{"stat_id":57},{"id":58,"figure":59,"caption":60,"stat_fid":8},31,"11.4 CMLs","A customer connected to our London network will be off supply for 11 minutes per year. This is a 73% improvement on 2010/11, when the average duration was 42 minutes.",{"id":62,"status":6,"sort":8,"title":63,"key":8,"fkey":14,"body":8,"cta":8,"intro":8,"stats":64},66,"South East",[65,70],{"stat_id":66},{"id":67,"figure":68,"caption":69,"stat_fid":8},32,"49.8 CIs","Our power cut performance has improved by 35% since 2010/11, which means our South Eastern network customers now see an interruption on average once every 24 months compared to an average of once every 16 months.",{"stat_id":71},{"id":72,"figure":73,"caption":74,"stat_fid":8},33,"36.6 CMLs","A customer connected to our South Eastern network will be off supply for just over half and hour per year. This is a 50% improvement on 2010/11, when the average duration was 73 minutes.",[],{"item":77},{"id":78,"title":79,"intro":8,"pages":80,"items":81,"case":87},20,"How we are delivering a reliable network",[],[82],{"id":83,"status":6,"sort":8,"title":84,"key":8,"fkey":78,"body":85,"cta":8,"intro":8,"stats":86},67,"Satellite technology","\u003Cblockquote>\n\u003Cp class=\"p1\">The results of our trial using satellite technology have proved to be encouraging. We will be able to monitor tree growth and decaying trees much more accurately, this will enable us to manage the tree cutting programme much more effectively by being able to target those trees that are fast growing or in danger of falling over.”\u003C/p>\n\u003C/blockquote>\n\u003Cp class=\"p2 u-sig\">\u003Cstrong>Colin Barden\u003Cbr>\u003C/strong>\u003Cspan class=\"u-text-light\">Head of Quality of Supply, UK Power Networks\u003C/span>\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp class=\"p1\">In recent years, we have used laser technology to assess the growth of vegetation along our overhead power lines, so we know when it needs cutting back. Climate change has meant that trees and other vegetation grows more quickly than it used to and, in the last year, we have seen infestations of new pests such as the spruce bark beetle that can damage trees and leave them likely to fall. In 2023/24, we are looking to utilise satellite technology to do the same job. It is less carbon-intensive than using drones, and faster and more accurate in delivering the information to our treecutting teams.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cdiv class=\"u-block-panel\">\n\u003Ch5 class=\"p1\">What this means for our customers\u003C/h5>\n\u003Cp class=\"p2\">Satellite technology’s accuracy delivers great value compared to the existing LiDAR approach. The images can be analysed in a fraction of the time (two weeks compared to more than six months) and we can run spot checks after storms to assess damage. This type of data acquisition is much cheaper so we can do more of it and act on it more quickly. This means our vegetation management is altogether more cost-effective. We think we will save around £25m of customers’ money over the next ten years.\u003C/p>\n\u003C/div>",[],[],[89,93,98,103],{"stat_id":90},{"id":91,"figure":92,"caption":7,"stat_fid":8},3,"99.99%",{"stat_id":94},{"id":95,"figure":96,"caption":97,"stat_fid":8},4,"No.1","Our London network, LPN, remains the No.1 network for reliability, with the lowest Customer Interruptions and Customer Minutes Lost",{"stat_id":99},{"id":100,"figure":101,"caption":102,"stat_fid":8},65,"55%","improvement in our Customer Minutes Lost since 2010/11, when we became an independent company.",{"stat_id":104},{"id":62,"figure":105,"caption":106,"stat_fid":8},"43%","improvement in our Customer Interruptions since 2010/11, when we became an independent company.",[],{"id":109,"status":6,"title":110,"split":8,"strap":111,"intro":112,"next":14,"blocks":113,"stats":116,"commitments":119},18,"Customer satisfaction","Keeping customers satisfied","\u003Cp class=\"p1\">Our culture focuses on understanding what our customers want and expect and providing service that meets those needs, tailoring it to their individual requirements whenever we can. This approach has earned us another year of increased customer satisfaction.\u003C/p>\n\u003Chr>\n\u003Cp class=\"p1\">While the safety of our employees and the public is always our number one priority, customer satisfaction has been a key strategic focus for UK Power Networks since its formation in 2010.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp class=\"p1\">We have built a culture in which everyone who works for the company recognises the importance of doing what is right for our customers. Since those early days of UK Power Networks, we have improved our customer satisfaction ratings every year. This year, 2023/24, we once again achieved an industry-leading Broad Measure of Customer Satisfaction (BMoCS) score from Ofgem of 94%, up from 93.8% in the previous year.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp class=\"p1\">We provide a safe, reliable, cost-effective power supply. As the economy reduces its reliance on fossil fuels and progresses towards Net Zero emissions, ever-greater pressure on the clean electricity network means we are continually upping our game. We have met the twin challenges of increasing customer service expectations and the inexorable rise in demand for renewable generation head on, increasing our customer satisfaction on an already high base. The culture we have built at UK Power Networks means our people are highly motivated to put themselves in the shoes of our customers and deliver better and better service every time.\u003C/p>\n\u003Ch4 class=\"p2\">A more granular approach\u003C/h4>\n\u003Cp class=\"p1\">We are now one year into the new regulatory period, RIIO-ED2, which began in April 2023. This has heralded a more granular approach to measuring customer satisfaction; we now measure it in categories such as business customers, low-carbon technology customers and vulnerable customers. This gives us a far superior level of detail that supports our targeted approach to taking care of our customers. These insights mean that we have adapted some of the ways that we approach customer service, such as how to triage customer enquiries and which partners we work with to deliver that service. For example, we have changed the order in which things happen in the connections process. Having an engineer visit the property early in the process means we understand the customers’ requirements better. This in turn means that the connection is much more likely to be right first time, particularly in the case of a complex installation.\u003C/p>\n\u003Chr>\n\u003Ch4 class=\"p1\">Challenging assumptions to free up connections\u003C/h4>\n\u003Cp class=\"p2\">Our commitment to excellent customer satisfaction applies throughout the business: in the field, at the corporate level and everything in between. We want to support customers in their wish to decarbonise their lives and we recognise that there are infrastructure challenges thwarting that ambition. The vast majority of projects that want to connect to our network can do so, and individual householders who want to connect clean energy technology like electric vehicle charge points and solar panels can continue to do so. Constraints on the national transmission network mean there is not always enough capacity to connect much larger projects in all areas. UK Power Networks is leading the industry in accelerating large-scale connections.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp class=\"p2\">We are challenging established industry assumptions to free up capacity for renewables to connect. We are leading a UK-wide project called Technical Limits which is freeing up nearly 4 GW of capacity for new connections in our licence areas alone, cutting years off the waiting times for large renewable energy projects to connect.\u003C/p>\n\u003Chr>\n\u003Ch4 class=\"p1\">Data driving our approach\u003C/h4>\n\u003Cp class=\"p2\">Our business, along with many others, is hungry for more and better data. The insights from well-managed data are driving change at UK Power Networks. Our user-focused approach to data management has had a significant impact on operational success throughout the business. Our systematic improvements in data handling and analysis have contributed to that success. Rigorous data quality measures have helped instil deep trust in our data, so we can make informed decisions based on reliable insights.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp class=\"p2\">In relation to how we serve customers, for instance, we now have same-day tracking of customer service performance.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp class=\"p2\">This means we can see the detail of how we are performing at a granular level as well as being able to see trends mapped against the customer journey. This attention to detail means we can spot where there are problems in the process and act quickly to rectify them.\u003C/p>",[114,115],50,51,[117,118,72],5,6,[],1737733128374]