John Pettigrew: Last News

UK homes could be plunged into darkness this winter, as the National Grid SEO has warned of planned blackouts on "really cold evenings".

The Met Office has issued guidance to help people cope with power cuts should they hit during the cold winter months.

The National Grid has issued an alert for potential power cuts tonight. It warned that increased energy usage on Tuesday 22 November could cause power cuts at around 7pm.

Planned three-hour blackouts could hit UK homes this winter in a bid to protect the network, National Grid has said. But the news has sparked debate amongst readers, with some questioning whether the last-resort proposals are in fact a good idea.

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

middle of winter.National Grid chief executive John Pettigrew warned homeowners the company would have to impose rolling power cuts on `those deepest darkest evenings in January and February’ in the event of reduced gas imports from Europe.He said the nation risks being plunged into enforced darkness if power generators fail to secure enough gas from the continent to meet demand in a cold snap. READ MORE: Two dead in horror crash after private plane crashes into car dealership His comments came after National Grid, which oversees Britain’s electricity and gas systems, set out various `unlikely’ scenarios in which the UK might not have sufficient energy supplies this winter. Most European countries are grappling with an energy crisis caused by Russia ’s squeeze on natural gas exports.

The three-hour blackouts that could be imposed to preserve energy supplies may take place on "really, really cold" winter days, National Grid has warned.

National Grid will share some of the excess cash it has made from electricity cables to Europe ahead of schedule as regulator Ofgem and others try to help keep bills pushed down.