British authorities have already considered occasional blackouts this winter, but public service media are said to be considering a “major blackout” lasting at least 36 hours.
Will Britain face an energy blackout this winter? According to The Guardian, the BBC is now preparing emergency messages to be broadcast on FM and TV in the event of a major power outage affecting part or all of the UK.
According to the leading Channel daily newspaper, such a blackout could disrupt mobile phone networks, traffic lights and banking systems in England, Wales and Scotland. Northern Ireland would not be affected by the crisis as its electricity grid would be connected to Ireland’s.
Cutbacks in January and February?
The UK could face an electricity deficit equivalent to a sixth of “peak” demand, according to the worst forecast estimated by the government in its planning. As part of an emergency energy plan, the UK government has foreseen possible power outages, which in the worst case scenario would hit households and industry next winter.
In this scenario, the high demand for electricity caused by the drop in temperature would also be accompanied by a reduction in imports of gas from Norway and electricity from France. This extreme situation would then force Britain to power cuts for a total of four days, Bloomberg said in August.
For its part, the Guardian broadcasts BBC news alerting the public to a crisis that could last up to two days.
“The government has said it hopes power will be restored within 36 to 48 hours. Various parts of the UK will start irregular deliveries by then,” read another message, the UK Daily Reports.
This Monday, British authorities tried to reassure the population, warning that there could be power outages between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. on “really cold” weekdays.