Cadent's priority to its customers in the East Midlands will never change, keeping them safe and warm in their homes, and ensuring that the gas remains flowing for generations to come.
The company has invested around £100 million to modernise more than 215km of gas pipelines across the region between April 2025 and March 2026.
To put that into perspective, the length of pipe being upgraded is comparable to travelling from Derby to Paris or Nottingham to Amsterdam, highlighting the scale of the programme.
The work saw skilled engineers replace ageing metallic pipes - some of which have been in place for over a century - with modern, durable plastic pipes designed to futureproof the network and maintain the safe transportation of gas.
This investment supported nearly 4 million homes and businesses properties across the East Midlands, helping to ensure a resilient and reliable gas supply for years to come.
Gas remains essential for many households and organisations across the region - providing heating and hot water in homes, schools and hospitals, supporting industrial processes, and increasingly powering HGV fleets.
Richard Sansom, Network Director for the East Midlands, said:
We know that the majority of homes and businesses across the East Midlands rely on gas every day, whether that’s for heating, hot water or powering essential services. Our role is to make sure that supply remains safe, reliable and ready for the future.
As these older metallic pipes reach the end of their operational life, it’s vital that we replace them with modern materials that improve safety and resilience.
This work also brings environmental benefits - reducing methane emissions and enabling the transition to lower-carbon gases such as biomethane. Supporting a more sustainable energy system will be key as demand continues to evolve.
The upgrades formed part of a nationwide, long-term programme to replace ageing gas infrastructure, which began in 2002 and is scheduled to continue over the next few years.
Each year, Cadent maintains and operates thousands of kilometres of gas pipes across the East Midlands, most of which run beneath roads and pavements. Where needed, older or damaged infrastructure is replaced to keep the network safe and efficient and keep the gas flowing for years to come.
Richard added:
Where possible, we use techniques that allow us to insert new plastic pipes into existing ones. This helps us complete work more quickly and reduces the amount of repair required, minimising disruption for local communities.
We recognise that roadworks can be inconvenient, but our teams are committed to completing projects safely and efficiently while keeping disruption to a minimum.
You will find the figures for each of the East Midlands local highway authority areas below:
Cadent is the UK’s largest gas distribution network with a 200-year legacy. We are in a unique position to build on strong foundations whilst encouraging the curiosity to think differently and the courage to embrace change. Day to day we continue to operate, maintain and innovate the UK’s largest gas network, transporting gas safely and protecting people in an emergency. Our skilled engineers and specialists remain committed to the communities we serve, working day and night to ensure gas reaches 11 million homes from Cumbria to North London and the Welsh Borders to East Anglia, to keep your energy flowing.
Here at Cadent we support the Government’s plans to reach Net Zero by 2050. That means we’re backing the introduction of hydrogen as a low carbon alternative to natural gas for the future. We know people love the controllability of gas and, with our network already in place, it makes sense to switch to the lower carbon alternative offered by hydrogen, which we believe can keep homes and businesses warm for generations to come.
Cadent manages the national gas emergency service free phone line on behalf of the gas industry - 0800 111 999*
Cadent Gas Ltd is owned by a consortium of global investors.
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