I’m sure most of you have seen the news that thousands of people are still without power and at least one death caused by the cold. Many of these people rely on electricity alone for heating, lighting and cooking.
It strikes me that currently electric only heating solutions such as heat pumps are being pushed as the future but as this power source for many is not reliable what alternatives could or should be available?
Interesting that I received a questionnaire not two weeks ago asking for comments on Northern Power’s business plan, for want of a better word. It was asking for customer feedback.
The plan was suggesting they would invest in re-wilding areas and planned to bury 66 kilometres of cabling! Some of my feedback suggested they concentrated on putting their cabling underground because of climate change and the increasingly severe weather.
My concerns seem to be well-founded after this current power outage. If I lived in one of these villages and had the finances I would be seeking local solutions to guard against this. My suggestions would include alternative means of heating (log burners) and local power generation not to mention a massive effort to underground cable the most vulnerable areas.
I know some of this would not fit in with the current green agenda but my heart goes out to all the people who still do not have their power restored. Thank goodness for their community spirit.
