National Grid is constructing a ‘mini village’ to house essential workers during the Covid-19 pandemic.

More than 68 control room staff will be living in temporary sleeping pods, to ensure an undisrupted supply of gas and electricity during the ongoing crisis.

The village is fitted with comforts and facilities such as wifi, showers and TV room to ensure workers remain relaxed while maintaining the recommended social distancing rules.

Sara Habib, Head of Workplace Services, said: “National Grid has a critical role in keeping the country’s power and gas flowing in these challenging times.

Our control rooms are the beating heart of our networks, so we’ve been working hard to ensure our teams have everything they need to get the job done and that they and their loved ones are kept safe.”

A similar move was announced by a US grid operator recently.