Key initiatives
.aspx?width=301&height=448)
We are committed to recycling and re-using spoil from street works, where appropriate, rather than using virgin aggregate. We have also set targets for the increased use of recycled materials and for reducing waste sent to landfill.
We are trialling smart meter technology to measure and then manage more effectively the energy lost in transmission on our network – an innovation that will help us to propose changes to the existing regulatory regime for loss incentive.
We have investigated comparisons between the whole life carbon and energy impact of an overhead 11,000 volts power line and a similar underground cable – examining everything from the extraction of source materials like copper, aluminium, steel and wood to shipping and transport, erection, whole life inspection, maintenance and system losses.
We are increasing levels of transformer bunding to contain potential oil spillage at primary transformers, reducing oil leaks from Fluid Filled Cable Systems (FFCS) by improving our leak detection, and reducing SF6 leakage from our equipment.
We are ensuring that our people are trained to recognise and to comply with all relevant environmental legislation.
We are working with Government to facilitate the introduction of distributed generation to make the process of connection to our network easier for customers, while establishing cost of system charges that enable expansion of our distribution network to be controlled in an environmentally responsible way.
We have signed the Government-backed WRAP Utility Industry Agreement, the waste and resources action programme designed to promote environmental sustainability. We are also signatories to a memorandum of understanding between the Electricity Networks Association and the Environment Agency designed to manage all environmental factors across the UK’s electricity networks sector.