Winter blackouts could bring down the current Government, ministers were warned today.
National Grid has said households could face power cuts lasting three hours if the country fails to import enough energy from abroad in extreme circumstances.
Health leaders say such rolling power cuts could endanger thousands of people who use life-saving machines at home.
The threat has piled more pressure on already beleaguered Prime Minister Liz Truss.
Martin Young, an analyst at the bank Investec, said: “It could be lights out for the government if we are scrambling for candles.
“Rolling blackouts could prove very tricky for the government, and we believe it is not unreasonable to suggest that there could be significant political fallout, including individuals taking responsibility, or even a change in administration.”
Any such change would, in reality, probably only happen if the government was reeling from other controversies, with blackouts proving a final straw.
And the change could, were it to happen, be to a Liz Truss-led administration, potentially resulting in a new Tory leader.
As part of plans to try to avoid forced blackouts, National Grid says households will be £10 a day to cut electric usage at peak times.
The deal relies on people having a smart energy meter and opting into the scheme.
The prospect of rolling power outages prompted alarm.
Laurie Cuthbert, a director of Kidney Care UK, said thousands of adults and children depended on a constant source of power to provide life-saving dialysis at home.
“This is very energy intensive…as for some people this treatment takes place several times every day for shorter periods, and for some this takes place every day, or overnight, for up to eight to 10 hours a time,” he said.
“Any interruption to the power supply would put the treatment itself at risk, and if people on dialysis miss too many sessions in a row then their lives will be at risk.”
Andy Fletcher, chief executive of Together for Short Lives, said: “For seriously ill children a three-hour blackout could deprive them of vital life-saving equipment such as ventilators, oxygen and temperature control.”
Charities have called on energy suppliers to identify and prioritise vulnerable customers.
Firms also warned of the impact of blackouts.
Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association said: “Like their customers, pubs and breweries rely on a sustained, guaranteed energy supply.
“It is essential they are able to provide welcoming spaces and keep production lines running.
“Publicans and brewers have already been facing uncertainty for some time as we emerged from the pandemic into a cost of doing business crisis and have tried to remain resilient.
Many have taken measures to ensure they can keep trading, from reducing opening hours to changing menu options, but blackouts could result in a tremendous loss of stock that businesses simply will not be able to recover.
“This news will add further strain to businesses at an already critically difficult time.”
