Power firm wins diversity award with ‘Equality to Equity’ strategy

An energy company has been awarded a diversity and inclusion award and was applauded for its ‘Equality to Equity’ strategy for its staff.

Image caption: Staff members at UK Power Networks’ Ipswich offices.

UK Power Networks, which delivers electricity to 8.5 million homes and businesses across London, the South East and East of England, picked up the award at the Women in Green Business Awards in London.

Winning the ‘Diversity and inclusion strategy of the year’, UK Power Networks impressed the judges with its ‘Equality to Equity’ strategy which sets out plans for D&I dashboards, neurodiversity training, and a mentorship programme for women in leadership.

How did the power firm win the diversity award?

So far this year, the Company has introduced diversity & inclusion dashboards for all nine of its directorates, fostering a greater awareness of D&I across the company; trained 400 Network Operations field staff through its ‘everyone matters’ programme; and provided neurodiversity training, with 35 champions trained.

The strategy has made a positive impact on the business. Its EMPower Community, bringing together individual networking groups to form a cohesive voice to ensure diversity and inclusion, now has 450 members, achieving a 35% growth over the past year. The company recruited 70% more women into the business in 2023.

Jean Kelly, learning and development specialist, said: “We’re delighted to win this award for our Diversity & Inclusion strategy. The award is a testament to the investment we have put in our staff members and ensuring UK Power Networks is a company where everyone feels welcomed and their voices are heard.“We want to get to a place where the sector reflects the communities it serves. We will continue to engage and inspire our employees, and contribute to developing a more highly-skilled and diverse workforce for the future.”

About UK Power Networks

The company owns and runs the cables and substations which deliver electricity from the national grid to 8.5 million homes and businesses across London, the South East and East of England, serving approximately 20 million people.

As the country’s biggest electricity distributor, it has invested more than £6.4 billion in its electricity networks since 2011, focusing on safety, network reliability, sustainability and affordability by caring for vulnerable customers and keeping costs low. It was named Utility of the Year in 2023, 2016, 2015 and 2012. It is also a founder member of the Levelling up Coalition, second on the UK Inclusive Companies list as well as one of only 5% of companies worldwide to achieve Platinum Investors in People status.

Aston University advocates for diversity to become the norm in UK organisations.