- Back
- Who we are
- Electricity explained
- A net zero future
-
Industry information
- Back
- Home
- Industry information
- Connections
-
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
- 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
- GB Electricity System Operator Daily Reports
- System balancing reports
- Monthly transmission loss data (4l)
- System constraints
- Voltage costs
- Winter Operations
- Network Access Planning
- Our strategy
- Research & publications
ESO
Reserve services
At certain times of the day, we need access to sources of extra power in the form of either increased generation or demand reduction. This enables us to manage a greater than forecast electricity demand on Britain's transmission system. These additional power sources available to us are called 'reserve services.'
Different sources need different timescales in order to be ready to deliver the required service. In this section, we list reserve services according to their timescales (shortest timescales first):
Balancing Reserve
Regulating reserve is used to manage energy imbalance between generation and demand.
Slow Reserve
Slow Reserve, separated into Negative Slow Reserve (NSR) and Positive Slow Reserve (PSR), will be the first of our series of new Reserve products.
Quick Reserve
Quick Reserve, separated into Negative Quick Reserve (NQR) and Positive Quick Reserve (PQR), is aimed primarily for reacting to pre-fault disturbances to restore the energy imbalance quickly.
