The industry regulator Ofgem granted the award after the company successfully delivered six projects which will help prepare the region’s electricity network for the increase in renewable technology, including solar panels and electric vehicles.

Over the next few years demand for electricity is expected to increase significantly due to the government’s carbon reduction targets, including the new target to stop the sale of diesel and petrol cars by 2040 to help tackle air pollution. As a country we are already starting to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels like oil and gas by changing to electric cars and electric heating systems. There are already 87,000 electric vehicles registered in the UK.

Electricity North West’s innovation programme will help ensure that five million people across the North West continue to receive a reliable and affordable electricity supply as demand increases.

One of the projects resulted in a ‘smart fuse’ which is recognised as an industry ‘game-changer’ in its own right. Hundreds of smart fuses are installed on the Electricity North West network and are now used by other operators across the country, which will help power homes, charge mobiles and ensure people can watch their favourite TV shows every day. The smart fuse is already saving £2 million a year for customers in the North West.

Steve Cox, engineering and technology director for Electricity North West, said: “We’re proud to be leading the way in innovation and that our significant steps towards a low carbon future are being implemented across the country. The award from Ofgem underlines our position as the best network operator for innovation in the country. These six projects have paved the way for developments on our network which will help save millions of pounds for electricity customers.”

You can find out more about the company’s work on innovation here.