Safety is at the heart of everything we do. The UK’s gas sector has been keeping millions of households safe and warm for decades.
Like all industries responsible for safety, we carry out robust, comprehensive testing. This is fundamental to ensure the safety of our customers.
In 2018, SGN carried out tests on behalf of the industry to investigate the risks associated with hydrogen compared with natural gas. The tests were funded under Ofgem's Network Innovation Allowance.
The key findings were shared with industry to inform the risk assessment for hydrogen in homes as part of the Hy4Heat programme which was subsequently published in May 2021.
Hy4heat is a programme commissioned by the Government and independently reviewed by the Health and Safety Executive that explores the potential use of hydrogen gas for heating UK homes and businesses.
The final progress report for Hy4Heat, published in April 2022, states that using hydrogen can be made as safe as natural gas for heating and cooking in standard construction detached, semi-detached, and terraced houses where additional safety controls are put in place.
In December 2022, SGN received an Environmental Information Request from a media outlet requesting the 2018 report and supporting media.
While we provided details of the tests undertaken, we decided not to share some of the material because of concerns this would be used out of context and could have been misinterpreted. Moreover, the key findings are already in the public domain, with the proper context, as part of the Hy4Heat study.
Today, following a determination by the Information Commissioner's Office, SGN is publishing the 2018 Hydrogen Consequence Testing report in full.
SGN is committed to being open, transparent and engaging with the community to clearly explain all aspects of the project.
The report can be accessed on the 'Research and testing' section of our website here.