Those unaware of their protected status, or in need of continuous supply of energy for medical reasons, should seek additional advice, after National Grid ESO cautioned that blackout were possible over the coming winter.
The Energy Networks Association (ENA) has looked to reassure Britain by providing additional information as to how customers will be effected.
National Grid ESO’s Winter Outlook, released last week, detailed its suite of tools designed to manage the grid during the upcoming challenging winter, although it did note that it is “cautiously confident” it will overcome the difficulties posed.
Along with its standard methods of managing grid stability, it has a number of enhanced measures to lean on.
Initial steps include encouraging additional generation through the supply market, asking heavy industrial users to limit their demand during peak periods and reducing domestic power demand.
Should this not be enough, it can then look to its new Demand Flexibility Services. This would involve asking includes customers to change how and when they use appliances like washing machines and dishwashers or reducing voltage across the country by a small percentage, which would be undetectable, the ENA said. This could potentially add around 2GW+.
Beyond this, National Grid ESO’s has signed Winter Contingency Contracts with coal power stations owned by Drax, Uniper and EDF. They could add around 2.5GW of capacity to the system.
However, there is a chance that a number of outages and an inability to lean on interconnectors could mean that the ESO will have to utilise planned power cuts. While this is a last resort measure, with numerous steps in place to prevent this, it may be necessary for the operator to undertake these blackouts to protect customers.
Although the idea of blackouts can instil fear into the general public and businesses alike, the ENA has stated that it is important to note that the majority of these ESO measures have existed for decades and are simulated in emergency exercises by the energy sector each year ahead of the winter.
The additional emergency measures have been designed to minimise the impact on customers by limiting the power cuts – should they have to occur – to shorter periods to manage overall electricity demand.
Although a power cut is never positive, having these measured and controlled could well be a vitally important aspect to maintain normality on a day-to-day basis in the impending winter months.
If an emergency power cut is implemented, customers in certain parts of the country would typically be without power for around three hours per day during the emergency, ENA said.
Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) would be legally instructed by ESO to disconnect power supplies using established protocols. The procedures ensure that power is shared fairly across all customers during a national energy emergency. This has been outlined in the Electricity Supply Emergency Code (ESEC).
Detailed within the ESEC are protected sites that the Government has made exempt from the emergency power cut measures. These are typically those that are deemed to be critical national infrastructure such as air traffic control and hospitals.
ENA has stated that organisations not already aware of their protected status will need to apply to become protected as this is not automatic.
Another central element discussed by the ENA in response to the planned power cuts are customers that are medically dependent on electricity. These customers generally have backup power sources to keep vital equipment powered for several hours should a power failure occur.
It has also recommended that customers that require a continuous supply of energy for medical reasons should seek medical guidance in order to properly prepare for the planned measures.
Backup power supplies and associated equipment should be regularly checked and maintained by a competent person.
Despite these concerns, the ESO continuous to remain confident that there will be adequate amounts of electricity for the UK population however it is important to note the regulations should these measures be introduced.