Who we are

What does National Grid ESO do?

National Grid ESO is the electricity system operator for Great Britain.

Our control room moves electricity around the country second by second to ensure that the right amount of electricity is where it’s needed, when it’s needed – always keeping supply and demand in perfect balance.

Our story

It’s easy to take electricity for granted, but the British electricity system is one of the most complex in the world. It certainly qualifies as one of the oldest.

Electricity first arrived in Great Britain in the 1880s when the first public street lights were switched on.

In 1928 the first pylon of what would become the national grid was erected.

Nearly a century later, while much of the network that grew from that pylon still remains, it has grown massively and is now far more complex. 

Today, National Grid PLC has a unique position at the heart of our energy system, connecting people to the energy they use. 

In April 2019 the electricity system operator part of the business, National Grid ESO, became a legally separate business within the National Grid PLC family.

This was to give you transparency in our decision-making and so you can be confident that everything we do promotes competition.

We’re regulated by Ofgem. Learn about Ofgem’s regulatory framework, how it applies to us and how it affects our business planning. 

Our journey continues today as we work tirelessly to operate a safe, reliable and affordable electricity system, all whilst supporting the transition to a greener, and more efficient system for future generations.

Our purpose

Great Britain is transitioning to a low-carbon future. Its energy system needs to do the same.

Years ago, our energy was generated by a small number of very large power stations that ran on fossil fuels.

Today, there are lots of new and cleaner sources of generation from huge wind farms in Scotland to solar farms in Skegness.

It’s our job to ensure these generators can connect onto the system and that we can run our system if the market presents us with 100% mix of renewable-generated electricity.

We need to do this whilst delivering safe, reliable and affordable electricity for everyone.

In a nutshell we:

• Ensure reliable, secure system operation to deliver electricity when customers need it

• Transform participation in smart and sustainable markets

• Unlock consumer value through competition

• Drive towards a sustainable, whole energy future