Grid operator says lights will stay on this winter after concerns

The National Energy System Operator (NESO), the body responsible for Britain's electricity network, has told households and businesses the lights will stay on this winter. Its annual winter outlook says electricity supplies are expected to remain secure throughout the colder months.

NESO cautioned that there could be some days when supply margins are tight. On those days it would issue routine notices to power producers asking for additional generation to be made available. It stressed that such notices are not a warning of power cuts.

"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," said Deborah Petterson, NESO's director of whole energy system resilience.

The outlook follows an independent investigation by law firm Eversheds Sutherland into concerns raised by the operator's own engineers. It found "high levels of stress" in the control room and a "significant disconnect" between control room staff and senior leadership. The probe was launched after Conservative shadow energy secretary Clare Coutinho flagged whistleblower claims in July that staff were pressured to conceal or alter records to avoid public scrutiny. The investigation did not substantiate those allegations, but chief executive Fintan Slye said it identified "areas where we could improve".

In a separate report, National Gas, the private company that runs the country's gas network, said it expects enough gas to meet demand this winter, though it expects gas use for electricity generation to rise at peak times because wind and solar output is intermittent. Wind was Britain's largest source of electricity last year, generating almost 30% of supply.