Britons could face power cuts of about three hours a day this winter due to gas shortages, the national grid operator, the National Grid Electricity System Operator, said Thursday.
In a report, the company said this is an unlikely scenario, although it warned that supply disruptions, if the current energy crisis worsens, are a possibility.
The company indicates that during peak usage hours, in the morning or early afternoon, there will be any interruptions and that consumers will be warned in advance.
However, the entity also emphasized that, in principle, households will not run into trouble.
The entity also announced that on November 1, it will launch an incentive program for businesses and households to reduce peak electricity consumption.
The UK relies heavily on gas to produce electricity. Gas-fired power plants produce more than 40% of the country’s electricity. Electricity is also imported from mainland Europe.
National Grid, which manages the electricity grid in England, Scotland and Wales, acknowledged that the Russian invasion of Ukraine had caused “unprecedented turmoil and volatility” in energy markets, and many European countries had to look for alternative supplies.
While the UK is much less dependent on Russian gas than mainland Europe, it could still be hit by the effects of shortages on the continent.
The report published today maintains the expectation that there will be enough gas to supply the country with electricity levels comparable to previous winters, and also takes into account other scenarios that could arise.
For example, a worsening energy crisis in Europe would result in not enough gas to supply the country, a situation where distributors would be forced to cut off supplies to homes and businesses for about three hours a day.
In this more extreme case, customers would be notified, which would likely happen between 4pm and 7pm local time (same time in Lisbon) and rotated between different parts of the country.
“In the unlikely event that we find ourselves in such a situation, it would mean that some customers could be without power for three-hour blocks at pre-set times of the day,” National Grid reports.
The UK entity’s warnings to those of the Paris-based International Energy Agency (IEA), which in its quarterly report published Monday said members of the European Union may have to reduce their consumption by up to 13% in the event of a total suspension of deliveries from the Russian Federation.
The European Union decided on Friday to cut electricity consumption by 5 percent during peak hours, in anticipation of a cut in natural gas imports from Russia.
Source: DN
