LONDON, June 30, 2026, 21:02 BST
- The UK’s grid operator says the power grid will need around 89 billion pounds in investments during the 2030s, which is 53% higher than its projection for 2024.
- Power was knocked out for 2,117 properties in the GL53 area of Cheltenham following a high-voltage fault, but supply came back just before 1 p.m., local reports said.
- Ofgem’s new RIIO-ED2 data keeps outage duration as a direct revenue driver for distribution network operators.
Outage minutes in Cheltenham and Warrington, flagged by local power-cut reports, put numbers to a risk investors know in British power networks. On Tuesday, the National Energy System Operator said Britain will need around 89 billion pounds in grid investment in the 2030s—53% more than the 2024 plan. Network charges already stand at about a quarter of a typical domestic power bill.
National Grid (LON:NG) said a high-voltage line fault was reported in Cheltenham at 10:37 a.m. on June 27, hitting the GL53 area. Early local reports put 1,791 properties off supply, then a GloucestershireLive update raised that figure to 2,117. All power was back by 12:57 p.m., according to .
The Warrington link isn’t a new outage update. Warrington Guardian’s archived snippets point to Jan. 9, showing a WA4 power cut listed at 10:32 a.m. with service estimated back by 8:00 p.m. That’s a 568-minute window if operators stuck to the estimate.
| Local fault data from linked reports | Network owner / operator | Properties affected | First logged | Restored / estimated | Outage clock |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheltenham GL53 | National Grid (LON:NG) | 2,117 | 10:37 a.m. | Restored by 12:57 p.m. | 140 minutes |
| Warrington WA4 | SP Energy Networks, part of Iberdrola BME:IBE | No property tally confirmed in accessible text | 10:32 a.m. | Estimated restore 8:00 p.m. | 568 minutes if estimate reached |
Investors see it in black and white. Ofgem’s RIIO-ED2 sets the cap on what network operators can make and what they have to deliver. Its rules also lay out what customers get for power cuts: for outages that hit fewer than 5,000, home users get £95 after 12 hours without power, business customers get £190.
National Grid reports that its distribution network runs through the Midlands, South West England, and South Wales. Warrington Council sends locals with outages to Scottish Power Energy Networks, calling it the company in charge of local supply and network maintenance. According to SP Energy Networks’ legal page, it is part of the Iberdrola group.
Ofgem’s new annual report puts a spotlight on how single outages can carry weight outside their local patch. National Grid Electricity Distribution scooped a total £12.4 million reward for 2024-25, but that was after getting hit with a £7.3 million penalty under the interruptions incentive scheme. SP Energy Networks landed a £12.2 million overall reward and a £2.1 million incentive for interruptions, though its SPMW licence fell short of Ofgem’s customer-minutes-lost target.
| Ofgem RIIO-ED2 2024-25 snapshot | Overall reward / penalty | Interruptions incentive | Local read-across |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Grid Electricity Distribution | +£12.4 mln | -£7.3 mln | Same Cheltenham faults hit both customer interruptions and minutes numbers |
| SP Energy Networks | +£12.2 mln | +£2.1 mln | Warrington is in SPEN area; SPMW fell short on customer-minutes-lost target |
The next thing investors want to know is how much of the bigger grid bill will get signed off as regulated spending. NESO’s new plan adds 43 network projects for the 2030s, with 16 new network options not in the 2024 outlook, and extra connection points for the Celtic Sea wind sites. National Grid’s Alice Delahunty said the company is “already moving quickly” but needs “clear and consistent signals on future network needs.” The Guardian
Hargreaves Lansdown quoted National Grid at 1,252.00 pence to sell and 1,252.50 pence to buy on a delayed basis, down 0.52%. The FTSE 100 was up 0.12%.
