UK households could suffer power outages for a few three hours a day this winter if the supplies are reduced in an extreme way, according to the company that manages the country’s electricity network National Grid System Operator (ESO).
In a report, the company has highlighted that it is an “unlikely” scenario, although it has warned that supply interruptions, in the event that the current energy crisis escalates, are a possibility.
According to the company, the hypothetical outages would occur in peak hours of consumption, during the mornings or early afternoon, and consumers would be alerted in advance. However, the source has reiterated that, in principle, households are not expected to face problems.
The UK relies heavily on gas for electricity and gas-fired power stations generate more than 40% of the nation’s electricity. Electricity is also imported from continental Europe.
The ESO, which manages these supplies in England, Scotland and Wales, today stated that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has created “unprecedented turbulence and volatility’ in energy markets and many European countries have had to look for alternative supplies.
scenarios
Although the general vision of the report maintains that there will be enough gas to supply the country with similar levels of electricity as previous winters, it also contemplates other scenarios that could arise. One of them suggests that the energy crisis in Europe could cause the UK could not import electricity from France, Belgium or the Netherlands.
The company also reveals that it will launch a program starting November 1 with incentives for businesses and households to reduce electricity consumption at key times.
National Grid also contemplates another more extreme scenario, with an escalation of the energy crisis in Europe that would result in there not being enough gas to supply the country, which would lead distributors to compulsorily cut supplies to homes and businesses for about three hours up to date.
In that most extreme case, customers would be notified when the energy cuts would take place, which would probably occur between 4:00 p.m. (3:00 p.m. GMT) and 7:00 p.m. (6:00 p.m. GMT) in the afternoon and would be rotated between the different areas of the country. .
