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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Environment
Jasmine Owens

Millions of litres of oil seeping into UK soil from ageing electricity cables

Bright yellow warning sign with symbol which reads: Danger Underground Cable. It is on a grassy hillside with a blue sky behind it.
UK Power Networks said it was committed to replacing the ageing oil-filled underground cables. Photograph: Bob Barnes/Alamy

Electricity companies are leaking millions of litres of oil underground throughout the UK, the Guardian can reveal.

In the past 15 years, 3m litres (660,000 gallons) of oil has been spilt under southern England from cables owned by the electricity distribution company UK Power Networks. But leaks are occurring UK-wide; the largest single leak reported in recent years was in Edinburgh, when 24,000 litres was spilt from a ScottishPower Energy Networks (SPEN) cable.

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