- Call for people to stay safe - smell gas? call the National Gas Emergency Service
- National Grid gas engineers carried out 35,000 emergency jobs last Christmas - regional breakdown in Notes to Editors
It's not just Santa who will be working on Christmas Eve. Whilst many of us will be making last minute plans, wrapping presents and putting excited children to bed, National Grid will be working around the clock to keep the gas flowing to ensure the turkeys are cooked on Christmas Day and gas supplies are safe over the festive period.
Throughout the year, engineers are on hand night and day to tackle potentially dangerous gas escapes. With 10 million turkeys heading for the oven this Christmas and Britain's central heating keeping festive families warm, safety-conscious National Grid is urging people to be extra alert to potential gas escapes over the holidays.
We estimate that nationally over 150,000 calls will be made to the National Gas Emergency Service number, with 70% of these requiring a gas emergency engineer to attend.
Martin Neat, National Grid's emergency call centre manager said: "It's National Grid's job to connect people to the energy they use, and that means business as usual for us while the country enjoys the holidays. Call centre staff will still be manning the phones 24 hours a day and our engineers will be ready to deal with any gas emergency over the Christmas and New Year period.
Last year, National Grid engineers carried out 35,000 emergency jobs after calls to the National Gas Emergency Service. Our message to anyone who smells gas is: 'Enjoy this Christmas and be safe - if you smell gas call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999.'
The call centre team will be responding to calls of gas escapes and despatching engineers. If you smell gas follow these simple safety steps:
- Call the National Gas Emergency 0800 111 999
- Do not smoke or light matches
- Do not turn electrical switches on or off
- Open doors and windows
- Turn off the meter at the control valve unless the meter is in the cellar
Notes to editors - archive
National Grid is one of the largest investor-owned energy companies in the world and was named Responsible Business of the Year 2014 by Business in the Community. This accolade acknowledges all of our efforts in getting involve with the things that really matter to us and to society. We own and manage the grids that connect people to the energy they need, from whatever the source. In Britain and the north-eastern states of the US we run systems that deliver gas and electricity to millions of people, businesses and communities.
In Britain, we run the gas and electricity systems that our society is built on, delivering gas and electricity across the country. In the North Eastern US, we connect more than seven million gas and electric customers to vital energy sources, essential for our modern lifestyles.
National Grid in the UK:
- We own the high-voltage electricity transmission network in England and Wales, operating it across Great Britain
- We own and operate the high pressure gas transmission system in Britain
- Our gas distribution business delivers gas to 10.9 million homes and businesses
- We also own a number of related businesses including LNG importation, land remediation and metering
- National Grid manages the National Gas Emergency Service free phone line on behalf of the industry - 0800 111 999 (all calls are recorded and may be monitored).
- Our portfolio of other businesses is mainly concerned with infrastructure provision and related services where we can exploit our core skills and assets to create value. These businesses operate in areas such as Metering, Grain LNG Import, Interconnectors and Property. National Grid Carbon Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of National Grid. It undertakes Carbon Capture Storage related activities on behalf of National Grid.
Find out more about the energy challenge and how National Grid is helping find solutions to some of the challenges we face at www.nationalgridconnecting.com
National Grid undertakes no obligation to update any of the information contained in this release, which speaks only as at the date of this release, unless required by law or regulation.