Skip to main navigation

Our response to coronavirus

Find out how we're working to keep the lights on in Great Britain throughout COVID-19.
Read more
Home
ESO
  • ESO
  • Group PLC
  • NG in the UK
  • NG in the US
  • About us
  • Careers
  • Investors
  • Data Portal
  • News
  • Contact us
  • Back
  • Who we are
    • Back
    • Home
    • Who we are
    • What we do
    • Our people
    • How we're organised
    • Meet the board
    • Stakeholder groups
  • Electricity explained
    • Back
    • Home
    • Electricity explained
    • Monthly Insights
    • Zero carbon explained
    • Carbon intensity explained
    • Electric cars explained
    • Power cuts explained
  • Future of energy
    • Back
    • Home
    • Future of energy
    • Future Energy Scenarios (FES)
    • Innovation
      • Back
      • Future of energy
      • Innovation
      • Strategy
      • News and events
      • Get involved
    • Projects
      • Back
      • Future of energy
      • Projects
      • Early Competition Plan
      • Offshore Coordination Project
      • Distributed ReStart
      • NOA Pathfinders
  • 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
      • Use of System (UoS) and Virtual Lead Party (VLP)
      • Connections help and support
    • Balancing Services
      • Back
      • Industry information
      • Balancing Services
      • Frequency response services
      • Reserve services
      • System security services
      • Reactive power services
      • Trading
      • Settlements
      • Balancing Mechanism Wider Access
      • Get involved
    • 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
      • Submit a charging query
    • Codes Homepage
      • Back
      • Industry information
      • Codes Homepage
      • 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)
      • European Network Codes (ENC)
      • Codes calendar
      • Code changes: Beginner's Guide
      • About the Codes Team
    • Industry Data and Reports
      • Back
      • Industry information
      • Industry Data and Reports
      • System Incidents Report
      • 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
    • Keeping the lights on throughout coronavirus
    • Accelerated Loss of Mains applications
    • Our consultation responses
  • Our strategy
    • Back
    • Home
    • Our strategy
    • Forward Plan
      • Back
      • Our strategy
      • Forward Plan
      • How we're performing
    • Annual report and accounts
      • Back
      • Our strategy
      • Annual report and accounts
      • Annual report 2019/20
    • RIIO
      • Back
      • Our strategy
      • RIIO
      • RIIO-2 final business plan
      • Future planning 2021 onwards
      • Have your say on our future plan
      • RIIO-2 Stakeholder Group
  • Research & publications
    • Back
    • Home
    • Research & publications
    • Future Energy Scenarios (FES)
    • Whole electricity system
    • Summer Outlook
    • Winter Outlook
    • ​Electricity Ten Year Statement (ETYS)
    • Network Options Assessment (NOA)
    • Network Development Roadmap
    • System Operability Framework (SOF)
    • Future of balancing services
    • Transmission performance reports
    • Regional Development Programmes
National Grid ESO - is our electricity greener during coronavirus lockdown - mother in garden with child

Is our electricity greener in lockdown?

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Email

14th April 2020 - Electricity explained

You might think people staying at home and using more electricity would mean an increased overall demand across the country, but that’s not the case.

Electricity demand is actually significantly lower than usual, due to a decrease in energy use from large industrial consumers.

Most people would assume that if there is less demand for electricity, more of the country can be powered by renewable electricity, and whilst this can be the case, it isn’t always.

While demand is reduced, it’s likely that we’ll see some very low levels of carbon intensity on our electricity system. This is a measure of how many CO2 emissions are produced per kilowatt hour of electricity consumed, and reflects how much renewable generation we have on the system at any one time.

National Grid ESO - wind turbine and yellow flowers

With demand as low as it is, renewables will often be making up more of the energy mix – with gas and coal generation only needed to provide stability services (see below for more on that).

Lower carbon intensity is a real positive as we transition to a more sustainable energy system, and – regardless of our current lockdown situation – we’ll be seeing more of this as we move towards our ambition to be able to operate the system entirely with zero carbon sources of energy.

However, operating in low demand periods means we may need to bring on extra services to balance the system and currently all these services involve consuming carbon.

The good news is that the ESO is working towards being able to operate Britain’s electricity system with zero carbon by 2025.

We’re already up and running with some world first projects to help us get ready, such as a new approach to procuring inertia, with new or modified assets providing inertia without having to provide electricity at the same time – allowing more renewable generation to operate and ensuring system stability at lower costs.

We’ve seen examples of new technology allowing us to use solar and wind to manage key properties of electricity such as frequency and voltage and we’re also designing new commercial frameworks too, widening access to the electricity market and making it easier for smaller, renewable sources of power to play a role in keeping the system stable.

On the domestic front, electric vehicles and smart charging are helping us by moving charging times to align with times of high renewables.

In the future, vehicle to grid technology will be a great way of transferring electricity in and out of our system, storing it in their batteries when demand is low and giving electricity back to the grid when it’s high.

Smart meters and time of use tariffs also help us consume electricity when it is best for our system and the environment. 

Contributing Expert

Roisin Quinn
Head of National Control and ESO Chief Engineer

Similar reading

National Grid ESO - Network Options Assessment NOA 2020 download - Colleagues analyzing electronic map ESO : Electricity explained

Why do we trade electricity, and how does it help us keep the lights on?

How does our energy trading team help to make sure we keep Britain's electricity flowing safely around the country?

Read article
National Grid ESO - Early competition project updates - Sunset ESO : Electricity explained

Record-breaking 2020 becomes greenest year for Britain’s electricity

A look back at 2020 - a record-breaking year of progress and challenges for Britain's electricity system.

Read article
ESO : Electricity explained

Everything you need to know about electricity system margins

What are electricity system margins, and why are they important in keeping the megawatts moving around Britain?

Read article
National Grid ESO
© National Grid 2021

Connect with us

  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Youtube
  • Connect with us
    • Media centre
    • Work for us
  • About us
    • Compliance Statements
  • Privacy policy
    • Cookie policy
    • Terms and conditions
    • Security
    • Modern Slavery Statement
© National Grid 2021
Top