National Grid warns on electricity management handover

Utility firm raises concerns as government considers options for increasing competition and preventing blackouts

National Grid has warned the government that attempts to take over its role in preventing blackouts would bring further uncertainty and be of little benefit to consumers.

The company was responding after the Department of Energy and Climate Change (Decc) said it was considering a range of options, which are believed to include handing over the role to the regulator, Ofgem, or setting up a not-for-profit company. The new body would oversee large energy consumers limiting their consumption and would order power stations to increase their output to try to prevent energy shortages.