National Grid plc

Good morning and welcome to National Grid's half-year results presentation. I'm Angela Broad, Head of Investor Relations, and it's great to have so many of you on the call today. Firstly, please can I draw your attention to the cautionary statement at the front of the pack? As usual, a Q&A will follow the presentation. Please join via the conference call to ask a question by using star 1 or use the tab at the bottom of the webcast to submit a written question. All of today's materials are available on our website. And of course, for any further queries after the call, please do feel free to reach out to me or one of the IR team. So with that, I'd now like to hand you over to our CEO, John Pettigrew. John.

Many thanks, Angela. Good morning, everyone, and thank you for joining us today. Well, as you know, this is my last set of results, and I'll be handing over to Zoe, who becomes Chief Executive on the 17th of November. So before we get started with the results presentation, Let me pass it over to Zoe to say a few words.

Thank you John and good morning everyone. Today's results are an important moment for National Grid and for me personally as I pick up the baton from John. I want to take a moment to recognise his remarkable contribution over a decade as CEO. The strong foundations he leaves behind are a testament to his leadership and the dedication of our National Grid team. Since joining as CEO designate on the 1st of September, I've had the privilege of meeting with many colleagues and stakeholders. What stands out to me is the scale and ambition of what we're delivering, transforming our networks and investing at pace. Our £60 billion capital investment is not just a number, it's a commitment to future proofing networks so we can meet the surge in demand we're seeing and ensure the millions of homes and businesses we serve have the reliable and clean energy they need at a price they can afford. As I step into my role in the coming days, my immediate focus will be on maintaining momentum, staying focused on performance and delivering safely and responsibly. I will approach this with a clear-eyed view of the challenges and exciting opportunities ahead. I believe in the vital function energy companies play in driving growth and prosperity. I'm committed to ensuring National Grid plays its part with an unrelenting focus on operational excellence and capital discipline as we continue to deliver for our customers and create value for our shareholders. I look forward to meeting all of you in due course, but for now I'll hand to John and Andy to take you through the results.