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| Welcome to your Stakeholder Update. We reflect on a very busy autumn, preparations for the winter months and the exciting launch of the 2024 apprentice programme. | |  | November saw our region impacted by the fourth named storm of the year: Storm Debi. Winds of over 70mph saw fallen trees and windborne debris cause damage to the power network. Electricity North West engineers restored power to more than 23,000 properties and technology on our network enabled approximately 50 per cent to be restored in under three minutes. You'll find more information below including key stats from Storm Debi. Thank you to those that were impacted and helped in the regional response.
This is a timely reminder for us all to be winter ready - we've pulled some key information together to support customers this winter. We know that no-one wants to be without power at this time of the year, so we have also begun our own winter working protocols. For planned supply interruptions, these include, we don’t turn customers off on a Friday in December and we will aim to have the lights on for you when it's dark.
We know every household’s needs are different and some people need additional help when they are without power. Our Extra Care Register supports household with a personal service, check out our Extra Care web pages for lots of useful tips and advice. We’ve also teamed up with Citizens Advice and Energy Saving Trust to launch Take Charge, a free impartial advice service. Take Charge is here to help customers reduce energy bills, get debt and financial support, and even secure funding for energy efficient home improvements. Please forward this information to people and organisations that you think may be able to help spread the word …and get the support to those that need it most. If you would like to chat to us about how you can help please get in touch.
November saw us deliver our three Regional stakeholder workshops in Preston, Penrith and Manchester. It was great to see so many of our stakeholders and to share information on the regions long-term economic development, our investment and connections support and to discuss media interest in national connection queues. Further information from the events will follow in the coming weeks but we are delighted to share our Regional investment booklets highlighting the investment we're making in each region. You'll find more information in the newsletter.
November has also seen the launch of the recruitment window for our award-winning apprenticeship scheme. This year as part of the campaign plans, we will host more open days at our state-of-the-art Training Academy where potential applicants can learn more about the roles on offer. And after successfully advancing through the initial stage of Ofgem’s Strategic Innovation Fund, Electricity North West’s Net Zero Terrace and RetroMeter projects have been awarded a further £1m. You'll find more information in the newsletter.
In this month's newsletter...
Best wishes
The Stakeholder Engagement Team | | | | Releasing capacity and enabling connections | |  | You may have heard about national issues regarding delays to electricity grid connections recently. We want to provide a bit of background information – including our role as your local distribution network operator.
We’re taking our responsibilities seriously, engaging with industry and taking five key preventative actions to ensure that there is enough capacity for generators and businesses that want to connect to the local grid:
- Spring clean: Along with other distribution network operators we are contacting customers with older schemes that have secured transmission consent but are not progressing so we can recover unneeded system capacity.
- Changing policies: Starting in April 2023 we’ve changed key policies in how we assess connections taking a pragmatic approach informed by real life use of the network by major connection customers. We will continue to review our approach in this area.
- Network investment: We’re investing in our network to meet increasing demand. We’re investing millions of pounds over the next five years to make more capacity available. We have projects planned in key locations, including Cumbria, Lancashire and Greater Manchester.
- Commercial contracts: We’re developing smarter contracts that incorporate flexibility, making the most of the network capacity available and getting more from the network.
- Deploying technology: We have some of the most innovative technology on our network to manage electricity flows in real time, maximising the use of the network.
Find out full details of what Electricity North West is doing by visiting our new 'Releasing capacity and enabling connections' web pages HERE.
The Electricity System Operator (ESO) is initiating a five-point plan to update the existing connections process for the electricity transmission grid to complement its programme of longer-term reform. You can find out more by clicking HERE. | | | | Innovation Update: £1m win for net zero projects | |  | Two projects which will tackle energy efficiency and decarbonisation challenges across the North West have been awarded significant funding.
After successfully advancing through the initial stage of Ofgem’s Strategic Innovation Fund, Electricity North West’s Net Zero Terrace and RetroMeter projects have been awarded a further £1m.
Net Zero Terrace will demonstrate how to decarbonise an entire terraced street using a smart local energy system that is integrated with the network but is also optimised and affordable to consumers and easily replicable across Great Britain.
RetroMeter will examine the energy and cost savings benefits of retrofit energy efficiency measures in a residential building, such as fitting loft insulation and draft proofing. The outcomes of the scheme aim to improve access to retrofit energy efficiency measures, leading to an increase in uptake.
Electricity North West’s previous innovation projects include CLASS and Smart Street which together could save customers more than a billion pounds from their energy bills if rolled out nationally.
For more information visit our 'Strategic innovation fund' web pages HERE. | | |  | | Power up your career with record number of green apprenticeship roles available | | The search is officially on as Electricity North West has opened the recruitment window for its award-winning apprenticeship scheme.
Forty-five roles are now up for grabs, reaffirming our commitment to investing in green jobs by making the record intake during a period of record investment in the region’s electricity infrastructure.
Roles available throughout the region include roles focused on maintaining and upgrading underground power cables and overhead lines, along with cyber security, design engineers and vehicle maintenance technicians. There’s also wider IT roles including network engineers and testers along with a role in the telecommunications team.
Read more HERE or to apply, visit our Careers web pages. | | |  | | Investing in your region: Our RIIO-ED2 regional investment booklets | | We are delighted to release our RIIO-ED2 regional investment booklets.
Our overhead lines, underground cables and substations bring power to 5 million people in 2.4 million homes and businesses. We invest millions of pounds in the region focusing on key areas of safety, reliability, customer service and enabling net zero.
These documents highlight our work across the region and aim to explain the local network and our performance in your area.
Each booklet details our intended investment in the region through RII0-ED2 which runs between 2023 and 2028.
To find out about the investment we're making in your region, click HERE. | | | | On Monday 13 November 2023, Storm Debi hit our region with wind speeds up to 70mph, cutting power to 23,000 properties. The hardest hit areas were South Lakes and North Lancashire. | |  | Branches and windborne debris caused damage to the power network with more than 55 separate damages to our high voltage overhead line network, with many more on our low voltage network too.
Hundreds of Electricity North West engineers were prepared and worked day and night restoring power to more than 23,000 properties. Prior and throughout Storm Debi we proactively contacted more than 112,000 customers on our Extra Care Register by making calls and sending text messages. Ourt call centre also handled 3,421 inbound calls with an average wait time of just 38 seconds.
Our automation on our network also played a crucial role during Storm Debi as approximately 50 per cent of customers had power restored in under three minutes. See the infographic below for the key stats from Storm Debi.
Please see our full capture report HERE. | | |  |
| Electricity North West announces latest flexibility requirements and opens up more opportunities for participation | Electricity North West has launched its latest flexibility requirements invitation to tender and is calling for 413MW of flexibility from 2024-28 across 29 locations, with up to £7m available for the provision of these services.
Flexibility services are procured as an alternative to traditional network reinforcements. This latest tender could save bill payers over £28m by deferring costly reinforcement work.
Read the full article HERE. | | | Round 7 of the Government’s Green Heat Networks Fund now open | The Green Heat Network Fund (GHNF) is a capital grant programme that opened to applicants in March 2022. Initially a £288m fund, its popularity has meant further funding has been made available to support organisations in the public, private, and third sectors in England. The additional funding can be drawn down in financial years 2023/24 through to 2026/27.
Electricity North West can help local authorities to respond by supporting project applications, supporting electricity supply needs (e.g. for heat pumps as a primary heating source) and private wire and electrical generation (e.g. wind, PV).
The deadline for round 7 applications is 23 February 2024. For full details and to apply, click HERE. | | | Bee Net Zero partners are taking a proactive approach to business sustainability | Greater Manchester is celebrating retaining its status as a Climate Action Leader by making CDP’s A-List for cities tackling climate change for a third year in a row.
Tameside Means Business will host its annual Net Zero Festival on Friday 8 December with interactive experiences, guest speakers and green business networking.
Bee Net Zero partner pro-manchester will be hosting an interactive Net Zero workshop on Monday 4 December to celebrate Carbon Literacy Action Day.
To support both commercial landlords and occupiers to reach sustainability targets, Greater Manchester Combined Authority has created a guide to Commercial Occupier Retrofit with the help of CBRE. The guide includes information on green leases, energy management, best practice certifications and circular economy solutions to save businesses money and improve their green credentials.
To learn more visit www.beenetzero.co.uk. | |
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