Energy threads through everything we love to do, from your home or your phone to boxset binges and nights on the town. That’s why National Grid is working to deliver The Great Grid Upgrade, connecting more clean and affordable wind power to you, and all the things you love to do.
How we're helping to power the things you love
Whether you want a nice cuppa or a hot soak, to dance the night away or get cosy at home, we all want to be able to do what we love.
And because energy threads through everything we love to do, we're on a mission to make it cleaner, fairer and more secure for everyone.
Powering the things you love...
Creating something delicious in the kitchen
Our kitchens have changed a lot in recent decades. Head-height grills and hand whisks are things of the past with new technologies such as stand mixers, bread makers and coffee machines having taken their place. Maybe you’ve even got yourself an air fryer in the name of energy efficiency and shorter cooking times.
As keen home cooks, many of us enjoy spending time in our kitchens creating delicious food and all this modern tech has given us so many more options. However, there is a secret ingredient in most recipes – energy – without which we’d have crisp-less roasties and bakes with soggy bottoms. From preparing your ingredients to the final dish, energy threads through it all. But the way it’s all powered is changing and in the future you’ll be safe in the knowledge that cleaner energy will be fuelling your delicious cooking and baking.
The Great Grid Baking Challenge: 1950s vs 2020s technology
Get ready for a baking battle of the ages! National Grid presents The Great Grid Upgrade Baking Challenge – a tasty metaphor for our mission to upgrade the UK's electricity grid. The 1950s was the last time the UK's electricity grid had a major upgrade and it changed domestic life for the better, allowing homes to power more gadgets like washing machines and electric food mixers. So we challenged some well-known baking influencers and some of our colleagues to bake like it was 1953.
Find out more
Watching your favourite TV shows
When you’re gripped by a new drama or nail-biting sport, you might not think about where the electricity keeping your TV running is coming from. One of the biggest tests of the electricity grid used to be during a major football match half time or the ad break of a cliff-hanger soap special, but that phenomenon occurs less commonly now. Today electricity is powering wi-fi-enabled streaming devices and experience-enhancing extras, such as mood lighting and sound bars.
But how can we continue enjoying our favourite entertainment while using cleaner, greener energy? Our electricity grid is about to undergo the largest overhaul in generations – The Great Grid Upgrade – which will help transport renewable energy to homes and businesses that need it. So, electricity created from a North Sea wind turbine could power your TV and all the bells and whistles that come with it.
Enjoying the fruits of your labour in the garden
Taking a step back to admire the results of your hard work in the garden can be a simple joy. It’s quite often a labour of love that involves contending with various obstacles, including our increasingly changeable and extreme weather.
As a nation, we want to keep our gardening traditions going for future generations and celebrate our very important outdoor spaces and, to do this, we need to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy and harness the power of nature – such as through wind and solar energy. Whether you use power tools or have outdoor lighting, energy is the thread the runs through it all and, through The Great Grid Upgrade, we’re making sure you can continue to mow your lawn and trim your hedges knowing that clean energy is fuelling your favourite hobby.
Keep up to date
The largest overhaul of the electricity grid in generations is big news. So why not pop the kettle on and catch up with what we’ve been up to?
¹The Sixth Carbon Budget The UK’s path to Net Zero - Climate Change Commitee (www.theccc.org.uk)