About us
Electricity North West owns, operates and maintains the North West’s electricity distribution network, connecting 2.4 million properties, and more than 5 million people in the region to the National Grid.
We own one of the original 14 regulated electricity distribution networks in England, Wales and Scotland and are regulated by Ofgem - the Office of the gas and electricity markets.
Our network covers a diverse range of terrain, from isolated farms in rural areas such as Cumbria, to areas of heavy industry and urban populations including Manchester.
Electricity distribution network
We deliver more than 23 terawatt hours of electricity each year to our customers in the North West. That's the equivalent of 2.7 million electric heaters being switched on for a whole year. We deliver this power through our network of:
- around 13,000 km of overhead lines
- over 44,000 km of underground cables
- almost 86,000 items of switchgear
- more than 34,000 transformers
National Grid
The bulk of electricity enters our network from the National Grid at Grid Supply Points, travelling through our 132kV network to a substation where the voltage is transformed to enter our 33kV network.
Similar transformations take place from 33kV to HV (high voltage) and from HV to LV (low voltage) to ensure that you get your electricity safely.
Some of our business customers need higher voltages for heavy industry, whereas domestic customers take a much lower voltage.
Delighting our customers in everything we do...
As you will discover we are committed to building strong and long lasting relationships with our customers and we work hard to cater for everyone so they can enjoy a reliable and efficient electricity supply and the best customer service possible 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Click here for full details of our customer strategy.
The future electricity network
Part of our role as network operator is to plan for the future. We're already planning up to 2050 to make sure that as the use of electricity changes, our network also adapts to keep providing the service that customers need. Click here to read our Strategic Direction Statement.
Network Investment Plan 2010-2015
Following engagement with stakeholders and consultation with Ofgem, we have built our investment plans for the five-year period 2010-2015. Our Network Investment Plan shows:
- our role in the electricity industry
- details of our network assets
- where we plan to invest.
A copy of the plan is available here: Network Investment Plan.