London, United Kingdom (UK)- The National Grid’s Electricity System Operator (ESO) has warned residents to brace themselves for three-hour blocks without electricity every day during the coming winter.
Painting the worst-case scenario, ESO said homes all over the country could see power cuts become a stark reality.
The concern over planned blackouts is reminiscent of the response to the miners’ strikes and oil crisis in 1974 that saw the government introducing a three-day week, limiting business use, closing pubs, and restaurants closed on quiet days and barring TV companies from broadcasting after 10:30 pm, though essential services such as hospitals, supermarkets and newspaper printing presses were exempt.
“In the unlikely event we are in this situation, it would mean that some customers could be without power for pre-defined periods during a day generally this is assumed to be for three-hour blocks,” read a statement from ESO.
In addition, the Climate Minister, Graham Stuart said it was one of the more extreme scenarios and cited that the country was in a pretty good position compared to other European neighbours when it comes to energy supply, as the country is less reliant on Russian gas.
“You have seen all sorts of things happening in recent weeks and, you know, we plan for all eventualities. You can’t guarantee what’s going to happen in terms of the nature of our energy supply,” said the Minister.
However, ESO said it would take steps to mitigate the risks, including bringing old coal-fired power stations back online if necessary.
A separate National Grid Gas Transmission study suggested that the country would be relying more on LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) supplies from the United States and Qatar this winter, that is because of uncertainty over whether traditional European Union (EU) imports would be available because of the squeeze on supplies in the bloc following Russia’s war in Ukraine, intensifying pressure on the UK power grid as a result.
Gas-fired power stations account for more than 40 percent of UK electricity generation while gas is also responsible for heating the vast majority of homes.
“In the unlikely event there is insufficient gas supply available in the UK to meet demand, and should the market be unable to resolve the resultant imbalance, we have the tools required to ensure the safety and integrity of the gas system in the event of a Gas Supply Emergency. All possible measures would be taken to minimize the extent to which we use these tools,” said ESO.
Energy bills have skyrocketed this year, but have now come under the protection of government caps on wholesale costs, shielding both households and businesses from the worst in the price surge ahead of winter.
