Frequently asked questions

National Grid owns and maintains the high-voltage electricity transmission network in England and Wales, moving electricity from sources of generation to the local distribution networks, who provide the electricity to homes and businesses.  This page relates to existing National Grid Electricity Transmission assets only, the network of towers (pylons) carrying conductors (cables) at high voltage, and buried cables.

Did you know? – This system is made up of approximately 22,000 towers, with an overhead line route length of 4,500 miles and underground network of 410 miles of cable, and 341 substations.

We have a statutory duty to develop and maintain an efficient and economical electricity transmission system whilst facilitating competition in the supply and generation of electricity. We're investing for the future, connecting more and more low carbon electricity to our network, a crucial role that is pivotal in turning the UK’s net zero ambitions into reality. 

You can find out more about our “Great Grid Upgrade” by following the link The Great Grid Upgrade | Making our electricity fit for the future (nationalgrid.com)

National Grid Electricity Distribution is the regional electricity distribution division of National Grid, owning and operating the lower voltage distribution network in the East and West Midlands, South West and Wales.

Did you know? – NGED used to be Western Power Distribution (WPD) until it was bought by the National Grid group in 2023.

NGED’s assets are smaller towers (pylons) and wooden poles. Please click on the link below to be directed to NGED’s website for more information.

Here is further information on the difference between electricity transmission and distribution. What’s the difference between electricity transmission and distribution? | National Grid Group

National Grid do not supply electricity to your home or business but we do play a large part in getting it to you. Supplying electricity is the job of your energy supplier who you choose and pay for the energy you use.

If you're not sure who your energy supplier is, contact your regional Distribution Network Operator (DNO). Details of who distributes electricity in your local area can be found by visiting the ENA website  Who’s my network operator? – Energy Networks Association (ENA). This website also has useful information on what to do during a power cut, notifying your supplier when moving house and what an MPAN number is and where to find it.

Here at National Grid, we use the term ‘grantor’ to describe anyone who owns or occupies land that accommodates our assets (apparatus). You will see the term 'grantor' used in our communications.

Our grantors are vital to the performance of National Grid. Essentially, they ‘grant’ us the rights to install and operate National Grid's electricity assets across their land.

Our electricity assets (towers (pylons), overhead lines (spans) and underground cables) transmit electricity to the communities we serve. These vital assets help to keep homes, businesses and public services running smoothly. 

Many of our assets are located on land that is owned or occupied by private individuals, organisations and businesses.

So, you are a National Grid ‘Electricity Transmission’ grantor if you have one or several of our assets on your land; or you may even just have part of an asset – such as the leg of a tower – on your land.

Did you know? – We have a community of 35,000 National grid grantors. This number is set to grow considerably over the next few years due to the UK's expanding electricity network, as we work towards delivering a cleaner and greener energy future on our journey to net zero.

As a grantor you are extremely important to us and play a vital role in helping to host our electricity network. We regularly require access to your land to carry out inspections and repairs. We therefore value building positive and cooperative relationships with you so that we can continue to keep things running smoothly.

Our grantors are a large and diverse community. Some are based in rural areas and some in towns and cities. Some may have several of our assets on their land whereas others will only have one asset or only part of an asset on or over their land.

Grantors may be individuals, families, organisations or businesses. They can be of any age, and come from different cultural, economic and social backgrounds. They may be farmers, manufacturers or office workers, business owners, or they may be retired. 

We’re trying to build better relationships with you - our diverse community of grantors - so we can communicate and work with you effectively. 

For any queries you can email our Grantor Relations Teams: [email protected]

I am leasing out land/tenant of land with one of your assets on – what do I do?

Please contact our Grantor Relations Team via email (see the 'Contact us' details in these FAQs) along with a copy of your most recent Tenancy agreement, your name and address, the site address our asset is located at and a grantor number if available.

I am managing the estate of a grantor who has died – what do I do?

Please contact our Grantor Relations Team via email (see the 'Contact us' details in these FAQs)  quoting the grantor number and attaching a copy of the Death Certificate, a copy of Probate and the Will.

My contact details are changing – what do I do?

Please contact our Grantor Relations Team via email (see the 'Contact us' details in these FAQs) quoting your grantor number and details of the change you are requesting.

I am selling the land with your asset(s) on, what do I need to do?

Please contact our Grantor Relations Team via email (see the 'Contact us' details in these FAQs) quoting your grantor number the leaving date and contact details of new owners if available.

My bank details are changing – what do I do?

Please contact our grantor relations team via email (see the 'Contact us' details in these FAQs) and we will send you the relevant form to complete and return.

I am currently paid by cheque and would like to be paid by bank transfer (BACS)  – what do I do?

Please contact our grantor relations team via email (see the 'Contact us' details in these FAQs) and we will send you the relevant form to complete and return.

If you have recently become aware that you are a National Grid grantor having bought land with National Grid assets on it, please email us at [email protected] or phone 0800 389 5113with the address of the land, a copy of the Land Registry Title Deeds, or a TR1/TP1 form from your solicitor and we will amend our records accordingly and be in touch with you to confirm the changes.

I am a new grantor - Who can I expect to contact me?

There are several ways we will contact you if you are a landowner or occupier with National Grid assets on your land.

Welcome letter – When you first become a National Grid grantor, you will receive a welcome letter from us. This letter will also contain your unique grantor number and lists the type of National Grid equipment that is on your land. Please keep these details safe, as you will need to refer to them if we contact you, or if you need to get in touch with us.

Annual foot patrol letter – This letter is sent to you once a year and is a reminder that we will require access to your land to inspect our apparatus.

The foot patrol letter also contains your unique grantor number and lists the type of National Grid equipment that is on your land.

Remittance advice – If you have a wayleave we will write to you before sending your wayleave payment. This remittance advice letter will state the amount you will be paid, when you will be paid and how (i.e. by cheque or BACS).

Cheque payment – If you are a landowner or occupier who has a wayleave agreement with us (please refer to Payments – Wayleaves and Easements section below), we will send you your annual wayleave payment by cheque to the postal address we have on file for you, unless you have asked us to send your payment via BACS. If you would like to receive your payment via BACS please contact our Grantor Relations Team and we will send you the relevant form to complete and return.

Please note, we will never ask you for bank details over the phone. If you receive any unsolicited calls from third parties requesting your personal data, please inform our Grantor Relations Team on 0800 389 5113 immediately.

Please also see FAQ ‘Who can I expect to contact me in relation to work on my land?’.

What rights do National Grid have to access and work on my land?

The rights we have so we can access your land are outlined in the easement or wayleave agreements that we have with our grantors. We also have certain rights under the Electricity Act 1989, for example to carry our emergency works, to ensure we can operate a safe, affordable and consistent electricity network.

If you have any questions about land rights or access to land, please contact our Grantor Relations Team who will be happy to help [email protected]

Maintenance of our assets - what’s involved?

Did you know? As a regulated Statutory Undertaker, we must maintain the infrastructure of overhead lines and cables to ensure our assets are to the standards that promote good safety and performance throughout the lifespan of the asset and through decommissioning.

It is our responsibility to conduct our operations in ways that protect public safety and the health and welfare of our employees and others who work for us. 

In order to meet these high standards, we may from time to time need access to your land to construct, inspect, maintain, renew, repair or remove equipment. For details on the construction of new assets you will be contacted by one of our relevant teams, such as the Strategic Infrastructure team, Customer Connections team, or Infrastructure, Development and Delivery.

Inspection

Access to inspect and carry out assessments of our equipment are unlikely to cause great inconvenience or damage, as they are normally carried out on foot. Our overhead transmission lines are inspected annually on foot, and at times by helicopter and drone. Our engineers might also have to climb up towers to inspect their condition.

Maintain, renew, repair or remove

We are committed to ensuring that the work we carry out to maintain our assets is done in a way that minimises the disturbance and inconvenience caused to you. We will from time to time need access to your land for routine maintenance or emergency work that can include:

• replacing conductors (wires), insulators, and associated fittings on the towers
• painting towers
• works to the tower foundations along with tower signage and anti-climbing devices
• clearing vegetation from beneath and around our assets to maintain safety clearances

You will be contacted in advance of any planned work by National Grid or one of our contractors, where our requirements will be clearly explained about the extent of the maintenance work required. However, for all work we are committed to ensuring that:

• We should always give at least seven days’ notice in writing prior to taking entry, unless it is emergency works when contact will be made a soon as possible. However, you will usually be notified months in advance of the work
• We follow access routes to our assets that are mutually agreed, and we will fence these out where required
• We limit the use of vehicles on your land wherever possible
• Gates will be kept closed and locked where required
• Our working areas will be clearly marked and fenced where required
• Any access improvements required for our works, will be agreed and carried out at our expense
• We will take all necessary precautions to prevent the spread of animal and plant disease
• Where possible, we will plan works to avoid obstruction to or interference with your land and operations on it, working with you to resolve any problems that may occur
• All reasonable precautions will be taken to prevent damage to land, drainage, buildings, fencing, stock, crops and the environment, but where unavoidable we will make good any damage or compensate you accordingly
• We will take all reasonable precautions to protect fishing and sporting interests and avoid pollution or the obstruction of watercourses
• Where excavation work is required, soils will be kept separate and reinstated back in their correct layers

We advise our farming grantors not to alter their planned cropping programme or farming activities without first discussing it with our representative.

Our surveys

Helicopters and UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles similar to drones) are sometimes used to carry out visual surveys of our overhead lines and underground cables. We take special care near livestock and other sensitive sites that we are aware of.

Please contact our Grantor Relations Team on [email protected] to notify us of any location you are aware of where special precautions should be taken.

Who can I expect to contact me in relation to work on my land?

Unless there is an immediate risk to life and/or safety of our system, we will contact you in advance of any access that is required to your land. A representative from our Access to Land team, or one of our appointed contractors, will be in touch to discuss the access. Our contractors that you are most likely to hear from are detailed below:

All persons working for or on behalf of National Grid will carry ID but if you have any questions around the legitimacy or have any questions, please contact our Grantor Relations Team on 0800 389 5113.

Here at National Grid Electricity Transmission, we follow 10 commitments to the way we carry out electricity works in the UK to provide safe, reliable and affordable networks. This includes setting out how we will meet our responsibilities and how we will involve our stakeholders (our grantors and customers) and communities in our works.

We will always strive to treat our grantors fairly, with respect, and we will communicate effectively whenever we need to access to land, and respond to any concerns proactively. 

Below is a brief overview of our 10 commitments, but please find more detailed information on our further reading page.
 

Our commitments to you

1. Establishing need

We will only seek to build electricity lines  along new routes, or above-ground installations in new locations where:

• our existing infrastructure cannot be upgraded (technically or economically) to meet system security standards and regulatory obligations
• forecasted increases in demand for electricity will not be satisfied by other means
• customer connections are required or
• an existing electricity transmission line has been identified for replacement through our Visual Impact Provision (VIP)1 project.

2. Involving stakeholders and communities

We will promote genuine and meaningful stakeholder engagement. We will meet and, where appropriate, exceed the statutory requirements for consultation or engagement.

3. Routeing networks and selecting sites

If we need to build new infrastructure, we will seek to avoid specific areas which are nationally or internationally designated for their landscape, wildlife or cultural significance

4. Minimising the impacts of new infrastructure

When we are developing new infrastructure, we will seek to reduce the impact of our work on communities by having particular regard for safety, noise and construction traffic.

5. Mitigating adverse effects of works

We will carry out relevant environmental investigations and report on these when we apply for consent for new works. We will use best practice environmental impact assessment techniques to assess possible effects of our works and identify opportunities for mitigation measures.

6. Offsetting where mitigation is not practicable

Sometimes the measures we take cannot adequately mitigate against loss of amenity – or mitigation might not be viable. When this happens, we will seek to offset the impact of our work in practical and sustainable ways, which we will develop by engaging with relevant stakeholders.

7. Enhancing the environment around our works

When undertaking works, we will consider what practicable measures can be taken to enhance areas in the vicinity of the works for the benefit of local communities and the natural and historic environment.

8. Monitoring and learning for the future

We will monitor, evaluate and review our engagement and working processes so that we can learn from our experiences and continue to improve in the future.

9. Reviewing our commitments

We intend to review these commitments at least every five years.

10. Working with others

We require other organisations working on our behalf to demonstrate these same commitments. We will continue to create an environment where we can share and deliver best practice.

A Wayleave agreement is defined as a terminable licence for which annual rent and compensation is payable to you. It gives us the right to install electrical lines and keep them installed on, under or over land for the purpose of inspecting, maintaining, adjusting, repairing, altering, replacing or removing the electric lines.

This is a legal right and is normally in perpetuity (i.e forever - although can on occasions be termed, i.e. for a defined period), granting us the right to install and keep installed an electric line on, under or over land, and provides access for the purpose of inspecting, maintaining, adjusting, repairing, altering, replacing or removing electric lines. An easement is granted in exchange for a one-off payment and is registered against the title deeds. Unlike a wayleave, easements need to be completed by a solicitor.

The short answer is yes, you can convert a wayleave into an easement.

The benefit of converting a wayleave into an easement is that you receive a one-off lump sum for the asset(s) on your land rather than the annual wayleave payment. This one-off payment is calculated on a case-by-case basis so if you're interested in converting a wayleave to an easement, please email [email protected] and we will be in touch.

A wayleave is when a landowner and, if applicable, occupier receives an annual payment for entering into a personal licence with us, known as a wayleave agreement. The wayleave payment is based on the type and number of assets on the land, and the land use. An existing wayleave agreement can also be converted to an easement – please see  the FAQ ‘Can I convert a wayleave into an easement’ for more information.

How are wayleave rates calculated?

We work together with organisations such as the Energy Networks Association (ENA) and the Estates and Wayleave Committee to calculate and agree the annual wayleave payment rates. The Wayleave Committee is made up of electricity companies, Country Landowners Association (CLA), National Farmers Union (NFU) and Farmers Union of Wales (FUW).

Payments are based on the size of the electricity equipment and land use. This means that landowners and occupiers receive different payment amounts depending on the type of electricity equipment and the type of land it is on.

If you have a specific question around your wayleave payments or haven’t received the amount you were expecting, please contact [email protected]

This is a one-off payment made to a landowner once a Deed of Easement completes and gives us permanent rights to place equipment on the land, even if the land ownership changes. An easement is registered against the property title.

If you have any questions about your payments, please contact our Grantor Relations Team who will be happy to help:

• email: [email protected]
• telephone 0800 389 5113

Injurious Affection (I.A.) is the reduction in the value of a property or piece of land due to the presence of a public service. For National Grid, it relates to our overhead lines and the towers (pylons), and the impact these have on the value of a landowner’s property.

Injurious Affection can be applied in situations where new lines are being built, for which you will be contacted by the relevant project team or in relation to existing assets covered under a wayleave agreement. When this wayleave is converted to an easement, this injurious affect is assessed and compensated for along with the easement payment.

To discuss this further, please contact our Technical Land Rights Team via email [email protected]

We will always try and minimise any damage while working on your land, but due to the nature of our work, some damage may occur. 

In some cases, we will rectify the damage ourselves, but in other cases we might need to compensate you for the financial losses you incur.  

You will  need to provide us with appropriate evidence to justify any claim. The more thorough the evidence, the easier it is for us to assess your claim. Compensation claims are ultimately paid for by the consumer.

As a regulated Statutory Undertaker, we have a duty to ensure that all compensation claims are fair, reasonable and sufficiently evidenced. The list below is not definitive but provides some examples of potential claims and the types of evidence that will be accepted to substantiate them. 

How does the claims process work?

Once we have approved your claim, we will complete our Damage Claim Form and where deemed reasonable – we will pay the claim.

How are claims payments made? 

Payments will be made by BACS (Bank Transfer). We aim to make payment within 21 days of the claim being approved. Payments can still be made by cheque if requested but this process will normally take longer. If VAT on your professional fees form part of your reasonable losses, we will reimburse it if you cannot recover it.

If you require assistance regarding payments, please call our Grantor Relations Team on 0800 3895113 or email at [email protected].

Professional Fees

You may wish to appoint an agent to assist you with arranging our access requirements or to deal with any claim you might have when we have finished our work.

You are entitled to claim for the cost of reasonable and proportionate professional help as part of your financial losses, and this will be reimbursed when your claim is settled. You should only instruct an agent to undertake work that is reasonable and necessary in relation to our access and work on your land. We do not have to reimburse you for the cost of any work undertaken by your agent that we do not agree is reasonable and necessary. 

Our Electricity Transmission towers (also known as pylons) are the structural supports that have carried the UK’s network of high-voltage overhead power lines for nearly 100 years.

What is a pylon? | How electricity pylons work | National Grid Group

Electrical substations play a key part in effectively transmitting electricity through our national system. Find out what they do, how they work and where they fit into our electricity grid.

What is an electricity substation? | National Grid Group

Electricity substations and the conductors that connect them are an important part of our power infrastructure, but there are concerns around whether it’s safe to live close to them, due to the fact that they emit electric and magnetic fields (EMFs). Please follow the link to learn more about EMFs Is living next to a substation safe? | National Grid Group and if you would like to discuss a direct concern, please call the EMF helpline on 0845 702 3270 or email [email protected]

If you have our assets on your land and are planning works you should:

• not do anything that would affect the integrity and safety of the equipment
• notify us before carrying out any ground works including excavations within five metres of our underground cables
• not erect any permanent structure on, or within certain specified distances of the cable easement strip without our consent
• not infringe the statutory minimum electrical safety clearance that must be maintained between electrical conductors and the ground, buildings or objects which are under or adjacent to the overhead lines
• take great care when working near to overhead lines with equipment such as cranes, ladders, elevators, irrigation pipes or other long objects which should always be horizontal when moved or in their lowest position
• never use the base of a tower or area immediately around it to store materials or tip any material, which could alter the clearance beneath the conductors.

If you are planning work near our network assets, please contact the National Grid Asset Protection team  on  0800 001 4282or email [email protected]

You can also submit a Linesearch before U dig enquiry at https://lsbud.co.uk.

LinesearchbeforeUdig (LSBUD) is a free to use service that any individual can use to check their works against over 150 asset owners’ utility assets, including National Grids overhead lines and underground cables.