Answer extracted from The Future of Utilities Podcast — listen to the full episode below.
How reliable are gas networks during extreme weather?
Gas networks achieve 99.9999% reliability, meaning you can expect an interruption to your gas supply roughly once every 40 years. This exceptional resilience stems from their design to a 1 in 20 resilience standard, enabling them to handle the coldest weather conditions expected within a 20-year period.
Built to withstand the coldest winters
Gas networks are engineered specifically to manage extreme weather peaks and troughs. The 1 in 20 resilience standard ensures that infrastructure can cope with the worst cold conditions likely to occur over two decades. As explained in the episode on The Future of Utilities Podcast, this isn't theoretical design—it's put into practice regularly.
This design philosophy means gas networks don't just survive extreme weather; they're built for it. When winter temperatures plummet and demand surges, the infrastructure is already engineered to respond. The network's ability to handle these peaks and troughs makes it a critical component of energy security during seasonal stress.
"Gas networks are designed to deal with peaks and with particularly cold weather. They're designed to a resilience standard, which is called the 1 in 20 resilience standard, which means that they can cope with the coldest weather conditions that could possibly be expected in a 20-year period."
James Earl — Chief Executive, Future Energy Networks. Earl leads the membership organisation for the UK's gas networks, representing National Gas and the four gas distribution networks in Great Britain, as well as Northern Irish Gas Networks. His background spans both gas and electricity sectors, giving him deep insight into how the two energy vectors interact and support each other within the modern energy system.
A deeper dive into this conversation about future gas roles reveals how gas networks are also evolving to include green gases and biomethane as part of the broader energy transition—not just as a backup, but as a fundamental component of the energy mix.
Key takeaways
- Gas networks maintain 99.9999% reliability, with interruptions expected only once every 40 years on average.
- The 1 in 20 resilience standard guarantees networks can handle the coldest weather in any 20-year period.
- This design enables gas networks to manage both regular demand and extreme seasonal peaks effectively.
See also
What is NISO's commitment to the development of flexibility markets?
This is a core part of NISO's mission, role, purpose and vision to deliver growth in flexibility and growth in these markets. It is not something temporary.
What barriers exist for consumers and businesses to participate in flexibility markets?
There is significant complexity in the market and industry that makes participation daunting from the outside. NISO is trying to take some of that complexity away.
How does flexibility help balance the modern energy system?
The energy system has moved away from large centralized loads providing all generation to a world where decentralized loads need to participate in the balancing of the system.