Energy Blackouts This Winter?

[El Cid 218]

What are people doing to prepare for energy blackouts this winter?

Speaking at an event hosted by the Financial Times just a few weeks ago, the National Grid chief executive, John Pettigrew, said the gap between supply and demand could be smaller than in recent years.

Tighter margins can lead to higher bills as the Grid faces the excess cost of paying energy suppliers more for extra supplies to top up the backup margin.

While we remain confident there is sufficient supply to meet peak demand, we should prepare for some tight periods during the winter. For example this could be when plant outages are higher than expected (often experienced in the shoulder months), wind is low  , or there is tightness in Europe at the same time that reduces imports. We may expect similar challenges this winter. We have a well-functioning market    that responds to market signals. and the ESO may need to use its tools, including issuing margins notices, to manage these periods.

The question is, what can we do to prepare?

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/oct/07/winter-blackout-risk-great-britain-rises-after-cable-fire

https://www.nationalgrideso.com/document/203051/download

[HeHasRisen 3,396]

Nothing, as it wont happen, at least not to domestic customers anyway. Next scaremongering thread please.

Edited October 21, 2021 by HeHasRisen

[The_DADDY 3,468]

I've been stocking up on most things all year including gas, coal, wood just in case. 

Probably nothing will happen and and I'll just use my extra fuel through next year but if there are shortages me and mine will still be nice and warm throughout the winter months. 

[Pyrotequila 402]

42 minutes ago, HeHasRisen said:

Nothing, as it wont happen, at least not to domestic customers anyway. Next scaremongering thread please.

This.
Any cutting of supplies will hit industry and commercial customers before domestic.

[El Cid 218]

1 hour ago, West 77 said:

The biggest chance of an energy blackout is if their is a shortage of wind.  There's likely to be less gas used this winter for obvious reasons.

It makes sense for anyone who has a wood burner or coal fire to stock up in wood and coal for any winter because there is always a risk of power cuts as a consequence of bad weather.

So we might start with a 4 day working week and then down to 3 if it get worse. It will be just like the good old days.

[BigAl1 143]

1 hour ago, West 77 said:

The biggest chance of an energy blackout is if their is a shortage of wind.  There's likely to be less gas used this winter for obvious reasons.

 

It makes sense for anyone who has a wood burner or coal fire to stock up in wood and coal for any winter because there is always a risk of power cuts as a consequence of bad weather.

All these things are interconnected. There have been warnings of energy shortages in the UK for years with concerns that we have limited spare capacity in the electricity industry and indeed as the government want us to buy and run electric cars and install heat pumps then the problem will get worse unless they invest (as oppose to talk about) more and soon (in the UK it takes years just to approve a new nuclear reactor let alone build it). As far as gas goes then again the fact that we got rid of most of the storage facilities and most is imported "just in time" means that in these times of worldwide shortages then of course we are at risk.

 

of course please remember this is nothing whatsoever to do with the decisions our politicians have been making over the last 20 years heaven forbid that they ignored warnings and tried to save money in the short term

[Bargepole23 337]

3 hours ago, The_DADDY said:

I've been stocking up on most things all year including gas, coal, wood just in case. 

Probably nothing will happen and and I'll just use my extra fuel through next year but if there are shortages me and mine will still be nice and warm throughout the winter months. 

How do you stock up on gas? Bottled gas? LPG?

Edited October 21, 2021 by Bargepole23

[BigAl1 143]

22 minutes ago, Bargepole23 said:

How do you stock up on gas? Bottled gas? LPG?

he may  have a pipe from his behind to a tank and every time he f**ts he tops up the tank. of course his boiler may need converting

[The_DADDY 3,468]

29 minutes ago, Bargepole23 said:

How do you stock up on gas? Bottled gas? LPG?

We have some 13kg bottles of butane for the portable heater and camping gas bottles for a couple of camping stoves we have. 👍

 

[Hans-solo 14]

I'm OK with leccy goes off I use light on fridge to see 

[BigAl1 143]

3 minutes ago, Hans-solo said:

I'm OK with leccy goes off I use light on fridge to see 

Bit awkward to carry isn’t it if you need to go upstairs ?

[Hans-solo 14]

2 minutes ago, BigAl1 said:

Bit awkward to carry isn’t it if you need to go upstairs ?

Never thought of that