Crawley resident's olympic effort recognised after 40 years of service to the electric industry

Dave Hales, 56, helped lead the team that designed and built the electricity network for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

He has now joined UK Power Networks’ 40-plus Club, which honours long-serving staff who help to keep electricity flowing to 8.4 million homes and businesses.

Dave joined the company at 16 as an apprentice jointer and progressed from supervisor to engineer, and project management roles. Now he supports the company’s Distribution Capital Delivery team to manage an approximate £120 million per year investment programme, including asset replacement and upgrades.

Dave said: “I have enjoyed varied and interesting roles throughout my career and the highlight of my career was keeping power flowing during the Olympic Games.

“We spent six years designing and building the distribution network for the Olympic Park, installed 200 electricity substations, and spent the following year decommissioning the sites which were no longer needed.

“You don’t appreciate what you have achieved until these milestones come along.”

Afterwards he worked in the commercial arm of the business on bidding and contracting before returning to the business which delivers power supplies to homes and businesses.

Dave added: “UK Power Networks has been the best owner we have had. It has led us towards where we need to be in terms of performance.

“For anyone coming into the industry now, we are on the verge of the biggest change in our industry that we have seen for years. Our network will see a dramatic step change in the next five years as more electric vehicles and low carbon technologies connect to our networks.

“We are entering the age of innovative automation and technology. It’s not all about putting in power lines and cables anymore. We are entering a different world and I don’t know what that world will look like, but it’s exciting for those working in and entering the electricity industry.”

Chief executive of UK Power Networks Basil Scarsella, said: “We take this opportunity to recognise the tremendous commitment and dedication of our longest-serving employees, who have served their local communities tirelessly for decades. I am grateful to all of our staff for their key role in keeping the power flowing safely and reliably for the millions of customers we serve.”

UK Power Networks is the country’s biggest electricity distributor, making sure the lights stay on for more than eight million homes and businesses across London, the South East and the East of England.

Network operators aren’t the same as energy suppliers; network operators manage local power lines and substations, while energy suppliers sell the electricity that runs through the power lines.

UK Power Networks continues to be listed in the Top 25 Best Big Companies to Work For, and made industry history by becoming first company to win Utility of the Year two years running.

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The company invests more than £600 million in its electricity networks every year, offers extra help to vulnerable customers at times of need, and is undertaking trials to ensure that electricity networks support the transition to a low carbon future. It also moves cables and connects new electricity supplies.