Skip to main navigation
Home
ESO
  • ESO
  • Group PLC
  • NG in the UK
  • NG in the US
  • Careers
  • Investors
  • Data Portal
  • Calendar
  • News
  • Contact us
  • Back
  • Who we are
    • Back
    • Home
    • Who we are
    • What we do
      • Back
      • Who we are
      • What we do
      • Work with us
      • Our people
      • How we're organised
      • How we're regulated
      • Meet the board
      • Our Executive Team
      • The Future System Operator (FSO)
      • Stakeholder groups
      • Our global network
      • Compliance statements
    • Electricity National Control Centre
      • Back
      • Who we are
      • Electricity National Control Centre
      • What does the Electricity National Control Centre do?
      • What is the Balancing Mechanism?
      • How does the ENCC handle severe weather?
      • What does a day in the ENCC look like?
      • Operational Transparency Forum
    • Electricity Markets
      • Back
      • Who we are
      • Electricity Markets
      • Electricity markets explained
      • Publications and projects
      • The role of the ESO Markets team
  • Electricity explained
    • Back
    • Home
    • Electricity explained
    • What is electricity?
    • How is electricity generated?
    • How does electricity move around?
    • How do we balance the grid?
    • What to do in a power cut
    • How is electricity priced?
    • Electricity and me
    • Monthly Insights
  • A net zero future
    • Back
    • Home
    • A net zero future
    • Our progress towards net zero
      • Back
      • A net zero future
      • Our progress towards net zero
      • Carbon Intensity Dashboard
      • Road to Zero Carbon report
      • Road to Zero Carbon in numbers
    • Our net zero work
      • Back
      • A net zero future
      • Our net zero work
      • Future Energy Scenarios (FES)
      • Virtual Energy System
      • Innovation
      • Projects
      • The Pathway to 2030 Holistic Network Design
      • Empowering climate action
      • Bridging the Gap to net zero
      • Our RIIO-2 plans
    • Net zero explained
      • Back
      • A net zero future
      • Net zero explained
      • What is net zero and zero carbon?
      • Renewable energy
      • Electric vehicles
      • What is carbon intensity?
  • Industry information
    • Back
    • Home
    • Industry information
    • Connections
      • Back
      • Industry information
      • Connections
      • Our role in connections
      • The connections offer process
      • Your connections journey
      • Reports and registers
      • Connections Portal
      • Use of System (UoS) and Virtual Lead Party (VLP)
      • Connections help and support
      • TEC Amnesty
    • Balancing Services
      • Back
      • Industry information
      • Balancing Services
      • Future of balancing services
      • Demand Flexibility Service
      • Frequency response services
      • Reserve services
      • System security services
      • Reactive power services
      • Trading
      • Settlements
      • Local Constraint Market
      • Balancing Mechanism Wider Access
      • Electricity System Restoration Standard
      • Power Responsive
      • Balancing programme
      • Single Markets Platform
    • Charging
      • Back
      • Industry information
      • Charging
      • Balancing Services Use of System (BSUoS) charges
      • Transmission Network Use of System (TNUoS) charges
      • Assistance for Areas with High Electricity Distribution Costs (AAHEDC)
      • Connection charges
      • Charging guidance
      • Charging policy developments
      • Charging statements
      • Our consultation responses
    • Codes
      • Back
      • Industry information
      • Codes
      • Code changes: Beginner's Guide
      • Connection and Use of System Code (CUSC)
      • Grid Code (GC)
      • System Operator Transmission Owner Code
      • Security and Quality of Supply Standard (SQSS)
      • Balancing Settlement Code (BSC)
      • Digitalised Whole System Technical Code (WSTC)
      • European Network Codes (ENC)
      • About the Codes Team
    • Industry Data and Reports
      • Back
      • Industry information
      • Industry Data and Reports
      • System Performance Reports
      • Balancing services performance monitoring report
      • Data finder and explorer
      • Forecast volumes and costs
      • System balancing reports
      • System constraints
    • Winter Operations
      • Back
      • Industry information
      • Winter Operations
      • Markets Forum events
      • Operational Transparency Forum
    • Network Access Planning
      • Back
      • Industry information
      • Network Access Planning
      • What happens when there's an outage?
      • eNAMS
      • Accelerated Loss of Mains applications
  • Our strategy
    • Back
    • Home
    • Our strategy
    • Our RIIO-2 Business Plan
      • Back
      • Our strategy
      • Our RIIO-2 Business Plan
      • How we're performing under RIIO-2
      • RIIO-2 Stakeholder Group
      • Previous plans and documents
      • Get involved
    • Annual report and accounts
  • Research & publications
    • Back
    • Home
    • Research & publications
    • Future Energy Scenarios (FES)
    • Network Options Assessment (NOA)
    • ​Electricity Ten Year Statement (ETYS)
    • Markets Roadmap
    • Summer Outlook
    • Winter Outlook
    • Whole electricity system
    • System Operability Framework (SOF)
    • Regional Development Programmes
    • Balancing Market Review
NGESO_Seaside_View_chris-meads-Banner.jpg
How does electricity move around?

Breadcrumb

  • Electricity explained

Do you know your DNOs from your ESOs? And how does electricity actually get to your home, around the country and overseas? 

We’re at the heart of Great Britain’s electricity system – making sure supply meets demand every second of every day – but to move electricity around requires a complex network of partners working in tandem. 

We use infrastructure owned by transmission companies to pass high voltage electricity onto Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) – which provide the local wires which take the electricity from the grid and move it through their own network of power lines and underground cables, to homes and businesses. 

Interconnectors are the cables that shares GB’s electricity with our neighbours abroad. While aggregators help people use electricity at the best times – for example, working with supermarkets to adjust their freezers to come on and off at different times rather than taking a steady supply. 

As you can see it’s a team effort. And one you’ll start to understand, after checking out this section of Electricity Explained.

National Grid ESO - electricity margins

How does electricity get to where it's needed?

It’s the role of National Grid ESO to move high voltage electricity from where it’s generated, such as a wind farm, through the system to where it is needed.

National Grid ESO - RIIO 2 business plan digitalisation strategy 2020 - looking at phone on city bridge

What does the ESO do with electricity?

Most people know that ESO keeps homes and businesses supplied with the electricity they need, whenever it’s needed but that’s just one part of what we do.

Back to electricity explained

National Grid ESO
© National Grid 2023

Connect with us

  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Youtube
  • Instagram
  • Contact us
    • Media centre
    • Work for us
  • Information
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookie policy
    • Terms and conditions
    • Security
    • Modern Slavery Statement
© National Grid 2023
Top