How Britain's electricity networks are organised, the main transmission and distribution roles from overhead lines to protection engineering, and the practical routes in.
Why electricity networks need people now
Every new wind farm, solar site, battery and heat pump has to connect to the grid. That puts the companies that own and run Britain's electricity networks at the centre of the move to clean power, and it means steady demand for people who can build, maintain, design and operate them.
The government's Clean Power 2030 Action Plan says roughly twice as much new transmission infrastructure is needed by 2030 as was built in the previous decade. Distribution networks face their own pressure as homes and businesses add electric vehicles, heat pumps and rooftop solar. This guide explains how the networks are organised, which roles exist and how people get in.
How the network companies are organised
Britain's electricity system has two layers. Transmission carries power at high voltage over long distances, from large generators to bulk supply points. Distribution takes it from there to homes, businesses and public buildings at lower voltages.
Transmission owners
There are three onshore transmission owners in Great Britain:
- National Grid Electricity Transmission owns and maintains the high-voltage network in England and Wales.
- SP Energy Networks, through SP Transmission, part of ScottishPower, covers central and southern Scotland.
- SSEN Transmission, the trading name of Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission, covers the north of Scotland and many Scottish islands.
Offshore wind farms connect through separately licensed offshore transmission owners. Balancing supply and demand minute by minute is the job of the National Energy System Operator (NESO), a publicly owned body that is separate from the companies that own the wires. Transmission owners are regulated by Ofgem through price controls, and the current transmission control, known as RIIO-3, runs from April 2026 to March 2031.
Distribution network operators
Great Britain has 14 distribution licence areas, run by a small number of groups known as distribution network operators (DNOs):
- UK Power Networks – London, the South East and the East of England
- National Grid Electricity Distribution – the East and West Midlands, South Wales and the South West
- Northern Powergrid – the North East and Yorkshire
- SP Energy Networks – central and southern Scotland, plus Merseyside, Cheshire and North Wales
- SP Electricity North West – North West England (formerly Electricity North West, now part of the same Iberdrola group as ScottishPower)
- SSEN Distribution – the north of Scotland and central southern England
Northern Ireland's network is run by NIE Networks. There are also independent distribution network operators (IDNOs), which own smaller networks such as those serving new housing estates, and independent connection providers, which build new connections that are later adopted by the local network.
Much of the physical work is delivered by contractors as well as in-house teams. Large transmission projects often use principal contractors and specialist suppliers on long-term frameworks, so you will see similar roles advertised by network owners and engineering contractors alike.
The main roles in transmission and distribution
Overhead lines
Overhead linespeople build and maintain wood-pole lines and steel towers. The work involves climbing, working at height in all weathers, stringing conductors, replacing insulators and fittings, and restoring supply after storms. Transmission tower work is a specialist area in its own right, often carried out by dedicated gangs who travel between projects.
Cable jointing
Cable jointers connect, terminate and repair underground cables, from low-voltage service cables in a residential street to extra-high-voltage circuits feeding major substations. Fault location is part of the job. Many jointers work in excavations on public roads, which brings street works qualifications into play, and experienced HV and EHV jointers are consistently in demand.
Substations
Substation fitters install, maintain and inspect switchgear, transformers and associated plant. Substation projects also need civil engineers, electrical design engineers, construction managers and commissioning teams, so a single new site can create work across several disciplines.
Protection and control
Protection and control engineers design, test and commission the relays, schemes and control systems that detect faults and isolate them safely. It is detailed, analytical work that combines theory with hands-on testing, and it often leads to commissioning lead or senior authorised person roles.
Network planning and design
Network planners and design engineers model how the system behaves, decide where reinforcement is needed and design new connections. Power system analysis, load flow and fault level studies, and familiarity with modelling software such as PowerFactory or PSS/E are common requirements. Connections engineers, who work directly with developers and customers, sit close to this team.
Control and operations
Control engineers in network control centres switch the network, manage planned outages and coordinate the response to faults. On site, authorised persons and senior authorised persons issue safety documents and control access to high-voltage equipment under the company's safety rules.
Support roles
Networks also employ wayleave and land rights officers, consents and environmental specialists, project managers, planners, quantity surveyors, asset managers and data analysts. These are realistic entry points if you have transferable skills from construction, property or the public sector.
Skills and authorisations employers look for
Safety culture comes first. Network companies operate under their own safety rules, and staff are trained, assessed and authorised for specific tasks and voltage levels. Expect employers to ask about:
- recognised electrical or engineering qualifications at the right level for the role
- your authorisation history, including the voltages and types of equipment you have worked on
- street works cards if the role involves excavating on public roads
- working at height, rescue and first aid training for overhead line work
- a full driving licence, as many roles cover a wide geographical patch
For engineers, professional registration through a body such as the Institution of Engineering and Technology adds weight, particularly in design, protection and asset management roles.
Routes into network careers
Apprenticeships
Most DNOs and transmission owners run craft apprenticeships. In England there are dedicated apprenticeship standards for power industry overhead linespeople, substation fitters and cable jointers, and network companies also offer engineering technician and degree apprenticeships. Places are competitive, so apply early and prepare for aptitude tests and practical assessments.
Graduate schemes
Electrical, electronic and power engineering graduates are recruited onto structured schemes that rotate through planning, design, operations and projects. Some companies also take graduates from mechanical, civil or physics backgrounds and train them in power systems.
Experienced hires and career changers
Electricians and technicians from rail, manufacturing, the armed forces or offshore industries often move across. Some DNOs run experienced apprentice or conversion programmes that recognise existing skills and shorten training. Ex-forces engineers with electrical or mechanical trade backgrounds are often a strong fit for craft and authorisation-based roles, because the work rewards discipline and procedure.
Finding network jobs
Network roles are spread across the country, from city cable jointing teams to rural overhead line depots and large transmission projects in Scotland and eastern England. Browse current vacancies in our power and utilities jobs section, or use the energy job search to filter by location, salary and contract type.
If you would like employers to approach you, create a free candidate profile. It stays hidden unless you choose to make it visible to verified employers, and you can see which companies have downloaded your CV. For more practical advice, see the rest of our energy careers articles.
Questions people ask
Do I need to be an electrician to work on the electricity network?
No. Craft apprenticeships train people from scratch, and many network roles, such as planning, land rights, project management and data analysis, do not require an electrical trade. Qualified electricians do have a head start for some craft and testing roles, but they still need company-specific training and authorisation.
What is the difference between a transmission owner and a DNO?
Transmission owners run the high-voltage network that moves power long distances across Great Britain. Distribution network operators take power from that network and deliver it to homes and businesses at lower voltages. Both are regulated by Ofgem, but they employ different mixes of skills and work at different voltages.
How do people become authorised persons on the network?
Authorisation is granted by the employer under its own safety rules after training, assessed experience and a competence check for specific equipment and voltages. There is no single national timescale. It builds over time, and authorisations are usually reviewed regularly and may not transfer automatically between companies.
