The CEO of Electricity North West has said that network operators can be at the forefront of helping customers reduce their energy bills, in a meeting with the Minister for Energy Consumers.

Ian Smyth made the comments as Electricity North West welcomed the Minister to its offices in Manchester.

Showcasing some of its industry leading innovations, Smyth and other senior colleagues, including Scottish Power CEO Keith Anderson, spoke about the role of networks in helping meet future challenges while also saving customers money on their energy bills.

“In the North West we focus on providing the best help and support for residents and businesses in the region to meet their energy needs. That involves lots of engagement and lots of innovation,” Smyth said.

“The technology we’ve installed on the network is proven to reduce customer bills, without any behavioural change needed from customers. It was great to show the Minister around our control room and demonstrate our innovation and the benefits it brings.”

As well as showcasing its cutting-edge innovation, Electricity North West also highlighted the importance of key relationships with government both at a national and local level.

Minister for Energy Consumers Miatta Fahnbulleh added: “Network operators have a crucial role to play in saving households money on their energy bills, ensuring families feel the benefits of the clean power transition and supporting the uptake of low carbon technologies like heat pumps and electric vehicles.

“Electricity North West’s work to drive innovation in the power network is an excellent example of that, and it is great to see how this is helping customers. 

“We look forward to working closely with Electricity North West and other network operators across the country as we work to bring down bills by delivering clean power and net zero.”

As more people use low carbon technologies, such as electric vehicles, heat pumps and solar panels to support clean growth, the impact on local electricity grids becomes greater. Electricity North West is innovating to maintain an affordable, reliable network enabling everyone to take part in the transition.