If your power is off
Call 105
Free, 24/7, from any landline or mobile. The 105 line routes you to NGED (formerly WPD) if the fault is on its network. If you can see a downed cable, sparking equipment, or there is a risk to life, also call 999. Stay well clear.
Where WPD / NGED delivers your electricity
NGED (the former WPD) holds four of Great Britain's fourteen electricity distribution licences: the East Midlands, the West Midlands, the South West and South Wales. If you live in any of the regions below, the cables to your meter belong to NGED.
East Midlands
Nottingham, Derby, Leicester, Lincoln (south)
West Midlands
Birmingham, Coventry, Wolverhampton, Stoke (south)
South West
Bristol, Plymouth, Exeter, Cornwall, Bath
South Wales
Cardiff, Swansea, Newport, Pontypridd
Not sure if you are on NGED's network? Use the quick check below.
How electricity actually reaches your meter
UK electricity travels in three stages, owned by three different kinds of company. NGED owns the distribution stage across its four licensed areas.
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1
Transmission: the high-voltage motorway
National Grid Electricity Transmission owns the very high voltage backbone in England and Wales. NESO balances supply and demand across the whole of Great Britain in real time.
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2
Distribution: NGED's cables
NGED takes electricity off the high-voltage grid, steps the voltage down in stages and carries it through more than 220,000 km of cable across the Midlands, South West and South Wales to your local substation, then to your meter.
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3
Supply: your bill
An energy supplier buys electricity on the wholesale market, pays NGED a distribution charge, then resells it to you. The supplier is the only part of the chain you can switch.
Is NGED (former WPD) my electricity network? Quick check
Pick the region closest to your home. The check below tells you instantly whether National Grid Electricity Distribution (formerly Western Power Distribution) is your distributor.
Pick the region closest to your home address.
Yes, NGED (former WPD) is your electricity network.
In a power cut, call 105 free, 24/7. For a new connection or EV charger, apply through NGED directly.
No, your network is .
For power cuts the number is the same across Great Britain: 105. Read more about your operator.
NGED or your energy supplier: who handles what
Calling the wrong company is the most common reason people wait too long for power-cut help. The split below is fixed across Great Britain.
| If your issue is. | Call NGED (the network) | Call your supplier |
|---|---|---|
| Power cut on your street | Yes, on 105 | No |
| Downed cable or damaged pylon | Yes, plus 999 | No |
| New electricity connection or EV charger | Yes | No |
| Wayleave payment for pole or pylon on your land | Yes | No |
| Move, upgrade or smart meter | No | Yes |
| Switch tariff or compare prices | No | Yes |
| Bill, payment, direct debit | No | Yes |
How NGED is paid, and why that matters to your bill
NGED is a regional monopoly: you cannot choose a different electricity distributor. To stop monopolies from over-charging, the regulator Ofgem caps NGED's revenue under the multi-year RIIO framework.
Capped revenue
Ofgem caps how much NGED can collect each year across its four distribution licences. If it invests more efficiently, it keeps part of the saving; if it overspends, shareholders absorb the loss.
Rural solar and EV
The South West and the Midlands host some of the largest concentrations of domestic solar and rural EV charging in the UK. NGED's investment plan focuses heavily on reinforcing rural feeders that were never designed for two-way flows.
In your bill
Network charges typically account for around a fifth of a UK household electricity bill. Switching supplier only changes the supplier's margin and wholesale cost, not the network charge.
Western Power Distribution / NGED: frequently asked questions
Call 105 from any landline or mobile, free, 24/7. The line routes you to NGED (formerly Western Power Distribution) if the fault is on its network. Do not call your energy supplier first: your supplier sells you electricity, but NGED owns the cables and substations. If you can see a downed cable or there is a danger to life, also call 999.
Yes. National Grid plc bought Western Power Distribution from PPL Corporation in June 2021 and renamed the business National Grid Electricity Distribution in 2022. The licences, regions and operating teams are unchanged: only the brand and ownership shifted. You may still see WPD on old vans, signs, and bills for some time.
Just deliver it. NGED does not sell electricity to households: it owns and maintains the cables that bring it to your meter. The electricity itself is sold by your energy supplier, who pays NGED a distribution charge that is included in your bill.
Apply through the NGED website with the property address, the maximum demand in kVA and a rough timeline. NGED will tell you whether your street has the capacity, the route required for a lateral cable and a quote. For EV charge points and solar exports, NGED processes the G98 or G99 application.
Where NGED equipment (cables, poles, pylons, substations) crosses private land, the landowner is normally entitled to a wayleave payment. The rates are set centrally and indexed annually. Contact NGED's wayleaves team with the property address, the equipment type and the relevant land registry title to start a claim or renewal.