Simon Kilonback
In the past 12 months we delivered our strongest operating performance of the five-year regulatory period.
These results reflect a year of strong delivery, combining excellent operational performance with increased network investment, all underpinned by a resilient financial position.
We are seeing the results of a strategy I devised and launched mid-way through RIIO-GD2 to transform SGN, built around investment, safety, operational excellence, customer service, and our belief in the enduring role of gas in the UK’s energy future. That strategy is now delivering, and I am proud of what this organisation has achieved.
Operational delivery and resilience
In the past 12 months we delivered our strongest operating performance of the five-year regulatory period. Our fundamental responsibility is to keep the public safe and warm and respond quickly when customers report a smell of gas. Despite experiencing some of our busiest days in January, we delivered strongly against Ofgem’s standards of service, demonstrating an operational culture that always puts safety first.
Our networks are number one and two in the national customer satisfaction league table with Scotland retaining the top spot for the tenth year in a row. On mains replacement – one of the UK’s most significant national infrastructure programmes – we outperformed our agreed HSE approved programme.
Alongside operational excellence we provided record levels of capital investment in our networks while ensuring a resilient financial position.
At a time when energy security and system resilience have rarely been more critical, we continued to play a critical national role – keeping gas flowing safely, securely and increasingly sustainably. Our operational teams delivered network reliability of 99.99%, ensuring dependable supply when it mattered most. On the coldest winter days, Britain’s gas network carries up to five times more energy than the electricity system, underlining the essential role we play in the UK’s energy system.
We are also enhancing our cyber resilience, investing to protect our network and our customers’ data. It is all evidence of our crucial role in the energy system today and the enduring role we will play for decades to come.
We play an important role in the transition to a lower carbon future. Our biomethane connections have the capacity to supply the equivalent of over 360,000 homes, with a clear ambition to reach one million by the early 2030s. We are making it easier for producers to connect to our network and are playing a leading role in the Green Gas Taskforce which is successfully highlighting the many benefits of biomethane to policymakers and the public.
We also successfully completed our world first LTS Futures live trial, demonstrating that our network is capable of safely transporting and distributing 100% hydrogen. We are also continuing to make significant progress on H100 Fife project, a pioneering end-to-end hydrogen production, storage and distribution-to-homes project. Construction is now complete and commissioning is getting under way
Entering RIIO-GD3 with momentum
I would like to thank all our people for their continued dedication and commitment – they remain our greatest asset. Drawn from the communities we serve, they bring deep local insight and a shared commitment to delivering for our customers.
We are committed to fostering an inclusive culture in which everyone can thrive, supported by strong employee networks across the business. At the same time, we continue to invest in our future workforce, broadening access to our early careers and apprenticeship programmes and actively encouraging applications from individuals of diverse backgrounds.
As a result, today we are a stronger, more focused and higher-performing business than ever before. SGN’s transformation will continue into RIIO-GD3, which we embark upon with considerable momentum and optimism.
