Britons are told to prepare for three-hour blackouts – Households across Britain could face three-hour rolling blackouts in January and February if gas stocks run low, the head of the National Grid has claimed.
Chief executive John Pettigrew said the firm may need to introduce rolling power cuts in January and February, specifying the blackouts would occur on ‘really, really cold days’ during the week should Britain fail to secure enough gas supplies from Europe.
Speaking at the Financial Times’s Energy Transition Summit, Pettigrew warned that Britain’s gas-fired power stations, which generate a large portion of the nation’s power, are facing a considerable scarcity of fuel.
Britons are told to prepare for three-hour blackouts: ‘From 4pm To 7pm’ This Winter
That, combined with slow wind speeds for wind turbines and lower imports of electricity from Europe, would put excess strain on the grid and could lead to drastic energy shortages, necessitating co-ordinated blackouts.
Pettigrew’s warning echoed that of the National Grid’s Electricity System Operator (ESO), which earlier this month said households and businesses might face planned three-hour outages to ensure the grid does not collapse.
But a move to implement blackouts would need approval from the Government as well as King Charles.
John Pettigrew (pictured) said the firm, which oversees the UK’s electricity and gas networks, would need to introduce rolling power cuts on ‘really, really cold’ weekdays in January and February if the UK failed to secure enough natural gas from Europe
He said the first two months of next year were of particular concern, and a shortage of fuel for gas-fired power stations – which generate a large portion of the UK’s power – combined with slow wind speeds and lower imports of electricity from Europe would put strain on the grid
Radio newsreader Alan Rogers tells listeners about the power crisis – with candles lighting his studio in 1972
The risk of blackouts recalls the 1970s when strikes by miners and railway workers forced Ted Heath’s government to introduce planned power cuts to conserve energy.
Energy regulator Ofgem said British households should reduce their gas and electricity use where possible this winter to help cut costs and reduce the risk of power cuts.
National Grid meanwhile is setting up a scheme that will pay households and companies for reducing their demand during periods of limited supply.
A Government spokesperson said: ‘The UK has a secure and diverse energy system.
‘To strengthen this position further, we have put plans in place to secure supply and National Grid, working alongside energy suppliers and Ofgem, will launch a voluntary service to reward users who reduce demand at peak times.’
But Britons are already preparing for the worst case scenario by stocking-up on portable generators and torches in addition to winter clothing, thermal underwear and candles, according to industry reports.
Comparing data from the first 11 days of October 2021 to the same period this year showed a 203 per cent increase in sales of generators and a 43 per cent increase in sales of torches and head torches, Toolstation, part of Travis Perkins, Britain’s biggest building materials retailer, said on Friday.
‘Although it’s far from certain that the National Grid will have to resort to blackouts this winter, it’s clear customers are preparing for this worst case scenario,’ a Toolstation spokesman said, noting the generators can be used to power electrical equipment such as lamps, fan heaters and TVs.
The Toolstation data chimes with a report this week from market researcher Kantar which said Britons were stocking-up on candles and duvets.
Department store chain John Lewis last week said people were stockpiling thermal underwear, gloves and dressing gowns.
National Grid’s HQ in Warwick could be seen lit up late into the night after workers had left last week, sparking outrage at the firm’s ‘hypocrisy’ amid warnings of potential rolling blackouts
The 238,988 sq ft building houses 3,600 public servants from several government departments including the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
National Grid were branded hypocrites last week after pictures revealed every window in their near-empty HQ brightly lit up hours after workers had left.
Their multi-million pound office in Warwick was snapped ‘lit up like Blackpool illuminations’ last Monday.
Photographs taken after 7.30pm showed the lights left on in every office of the sprawling headquarters after dark, leading to disgruntled citizens accusing the firm of ‘rank hypocrisy’ amid its warnings over energy shortages.
Local office worker Peter Kearns, 49, who works nearby, said: ‘It boiled my blood when I noticed it – it’s rank hypocrisy at its best.
‘The place is lit up like Blackpool illuminations and National Grid of all people should be setting an example to the rest of the country – now more than ever.
‘Other offices make sure their lights are off when they leave for the day, so they should do the same, especially when they are talking about winter blackouts.
‘They are telling us all how to prevent the National Grid from collapsing – while seemingly doing nothing at all to stop that happening themselves.
‘I just think its outrageous that they are failing to heed their own advice and it just feels like a slap in the face for the rest of us when our bills remain obscenely high.’
A spokesperson for National Grid said: ‘Our Warwick office houses operational control rooms for gas and electricity where engineers work in shift patterns 24/7 to keep the lights on and gas flowing across the United Kingdom.
‘The building has many energy conserving measures including sensor controlled lighting which turns itself off automatically if a room is empty.’
