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Daily Record

Lifestyle

Abbie Meehan & Lucy Farrell

Exact times and places blackouts could hit Scottish homes this winter

United Kingdom National Grid

A new UK Government report has detailed the exact times Scottish homes could experience power cuts this winter.

News of planned power outages were reported last month when the National Grid warned that homes across the UK may have to endure three-hour blackouts on "really, really cold" days. The potential measures aim to preserve energy in a "worst case scenario" of a gas supply shortage.

Such blackouts will most likely happen between 4-7pm through January and February on the "deepest darkest evenings", National Grid chief John Pettigrew previously explained. Should they take place, the timing of these outages will be staggered, with different parts of Scotland being hit at varied times.

While these documents show who and when would be most affected by outages, the National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO), a separate division form the National Grid Energy Transmission, has stated that these blackouts are "unlikely" to happen.

The report has been described as a "default plan" in the event of a gas supply shortage, so this means that the plans could change dependant on circumstances, reports Glasgow Live.

However, the report describes a series of steps that would be taken before these blackouts. They are as follows:

The first step would be requesting the public to reduce their energy consumption
Then, restrictions would come into place for energy suppliers
And finally, the planned blackouts would come into place across the UK

The areas are split by "load blocks", which are like postcodes, but for energy consumption. Each distribution area across the UK is split into 18 load blocks which would take it in turns to be disconnected.

Certain energy suppliers list your load block on your energy bill - it is usually represented as a letter in a box - although not all of them do this. In order to find out your load block letter, you will need to call your energy supplier and note it down.

Additionally, the Electricity Supply Emergency Code (ESEC) allows the current Prime Minister - Rishi Sunak - to introduce blackouts in order to protect supplies of electricity.

Level one disconnection - how it would affect you

This is what an energy bill with your load block on it would look like (STV News/Glasgow Live)

Properties near to you would experience a blackout at the same time as you if they are listed under a different load block.

On the documents, each day of the week is split into eight three-hour slots. The slots start begin at 12.30am until 3.30am and end from 9.30pm until 12.30am the following morning.

In total, there are 18 different levels of disconnection with each one gradually increasing the number of blackouts in a week.

One is the least severe and 18 is where all supplies are cut off. Level nine is the first level where households would spend the most time without power than with it. However, it is unlikely that the UK would reach level 18 of the power cuts - or even face blackouts at all.

Monday