Blackout Preparation?

Endessa in Spain currently has a system as follows

Monday to Friday

Cheapest electricity = Midnight - 8 am
Medium rate = 8- 10am, 2-6pm and 10 - midnight
Highest rate = 10 - 2pm and 6- 10pm

Cheap rate applies from Midnight on Friday to 8am Monday

Everyone I know does their washing on the weekend or early morning and I’ve slow cooked casseroles/soup overnight in winter ! A quick blast in the microwave for lunch/ dinner means my bills are down on previous years before the new system came in.

I’d be happy to adapt to a money saving system.

The 4:30 to 6:30 thing is a red herring. It might be a completely different time altogether, and it might change every day.

Not everything is done to benefit families with children financially.

Like I said, unlikely to work because its a bit complicated.

sitting in a cold room is not to do that is ot good


Sitting in a cold room trying to do homework is not good

I can't see how this will benefit families with children financially, although if it means no blackouts then that is good.

At that time of day, children are arriving home from school, probably hungry and needing a meal, needing to do homework (sitting in a cold room is not to do that is ot good), might want the TV on, lights on etc.

Those at home all day can adjust their lifestyles and help but it won't be easy for families to adjust.

Sparklefizz

Casdon

The biggest issue is that far more people live in homes with no alternative to electricity now, whereas as the seventies there were more coal fires and gas fires.

We couldn't get the coal, Casdon

We were lucky enough to have a cellar, my parents used to buy coal through the summer and had a good stock, so we didn’t go cold. This year I’m buying extra wood now for the log burner just in case, the longer it seasons the better anyway, so it just seems sensible to get in more than I normally would - I live in the middle of nowhere so there’s a plentiful supply.

If there is no reduction in the usage of electricity, operators will have to pay to keep coal plants open which were otherwise planned for closure. It is expected to be cheaper to give people electricity for free during agreed certain times if they can reduce their usage, than paying the coal fired stations to stay open.

Both are ways of avoiding backouts.

Get candles.

The risk of blackouts is caused by the government's stupid energy policy.

Not quite.

If you sign up for this you will be asked to reduce your consumption by an as-yet undefined %age when the grid is under stress, which means that when lots of people are using electricity or when there is less electricity being provided from sustainable resources. The 23p was an average saving, not the minimum.

I can't see this working. People don't understand it.

Apprently.. Nation Grid carried out trials of 100,000 Octopus customers this year. Nat Grid has written to suppliers asking them to contact customer offering it to millions more.
You just needed to reduce consumption for 2 hours during peak time 4.30 - 6.30.
Savings ranged between 23p - £4.35 during that period.

growstuff

Is this the article?

Yes, that's it

Worst case scenario. It may never happen. But it's best to be prepared, so stock up with candles and little battery operated lights. And buy a little camping gas stove. And blankets.

Is this the article?

Hope you feel better soon M0nica

volver I realise I made an error in my last post, forget that whole para, it is completely wrong. I was talking about strong gusts making the blades go round faster, producing more power and causing an over load on the grid system.

I am rather unwell at present, on massive doses of antibiotics, so not really thinking straight. I will leave GN for, at least the rest of the morning and give my addled mind a rest in case I make any more stupid mistakes

I'm sure this used to be called Economy 7. I assume that still exists. We opted out when all the children (eventually) left home as u wasn't practical to always leave the washer and dishwasher till the evening.

I am no expert but I understand that as we start generating more power from sustainable sources eg wind, sun etc we have less control over when that power is available. Wind turbines often get turned off when it is very windy as they are creating more power than we can use and we also have huge peaks and troughs of electricity usage. There are times when you can use electricity for free eg at 16.00 yesterday. We've always had a dual cost tariff for electricity, all our washing is done when electricity is half price, our bread maker goes on overnight and if we had an electric car we would charge it at night. I wouldn't dream of using the tumble drier during the day and if I do have to use it rather than line dry, it goes on during the night. I think anything that helps people to reduce their bills is helpful and if there are special discounts for people who are less well off, then I'd welcome that. I'm prepared to be open minded about what they are actually suggesting until I see the full facts.

M0nica and I have crossed swords several times about offshore wind and we'll never agree

But those thinking about the sudden big gust could blow the transmission wires that bring the power to land comment. The lines are sub sea. The wind can't get at them. Maybe M0nica would like to explain further.

There's a lot of misinformation out there.

Well none of us who don't subscribe to the Times can't read the article because of the paywall, but I did find something like it in the Telegraph. (No, I don't subscribe to that either, but you can see a couple of articles a week.) Then I went to the Octopus site.

The scheme is to allow anybody - not just "poor families" to reduce their electricity usage and get that electricity for free in 2-hour slots when the grid is creaking - i.e. when demand is high. You don't have to do it, and you don't have to sign up forever. You don't even have to do it when you've signed up for it, its entirely up to you. It's got nothing to do with blackouts and you have to have a smart meter because that's how they know your electricity usage on an hourly basis.

No panic required. Unless I'm missing something?

There has been a riskof blackouts for years. The main cause has been the introduction of off shore windfarms.

Winds off shore are tricksy and uncertain and a sudden big gust could blow the transmission wires that bring the power to land. Similarly a sudden drop in wind could shut a field down.

Some years ago a grid controller describing managing a steady power supply once lots of offshore windfarms came on stream as being like riding a bucking bronco.

Our local power station has a row of diesel generators, as do most of them, to use the get the grid running should it collapse.

I appreciate that the current problem is based on a complex situation involving rapidly rising fuel prices and the Russian invasion of UKraine leading to a restriction of suppliess.

But there is nothing exceptional about it. The british power system has been on a knife edge for years. You just did not know it.

Most big industrial complexes using gas usually have contracts that makes their supply interruptible, so if push came to shove, it probably be easier to turn big gas using industries off to a regular pattern.

I wouldn't be surprised if this announcement has been made to scare us in being more careful with fuel.

lixy

I well remember doing homework by the light of the paraffin lamp, but I don't recall being cold though so I guess we must have wrapped up well.

Think I'd better investigate getting a smart meter installed as we don't have one here.
I think it's a good idea, going along the same lines as paying people with solar panels when they are contributing to the grid.

We can’t have a smart meter. The external cabling across the estate is dated and cannot support the connections. I did try 3 years ago but it’s just not currently possible.

We are in a low-wage economy with a great deal of precarious employment. Many people who have not struggled previously will do so in the coming months; some are noticing it already.

The pricing system for fuel is grossly unjust. The increases in the standing charge mean that the more you use, the cheaper it gets. If you switch everything off, you still pay the standing charge and do not even receive a minimum amount of fuel for what you are paying.

The system requires root and branch changes, not tinkering at reducing costs for the wealthy or handouts of this country's money on the whim of a government, useful though they are now we are in the mess we are in.

The National Grid is well aware of peak usage times thus the ability to decide when to turn power on and off as happened in the 70s. Three day week etc.

Living in Turkey the power just went off for hours at a time as did the tap water with no warning. We just learned to live with it. Having said that it was generally in the summer. This coming winter sounds very bleak for many. Less food, little power and continually rising prices.

Thank goodness we have dual fuel so at least a saucepan can be boiled with hot water for drinks and hot water bottles. Looks like bed will be the safest place to keep warm.

I well remember doing homework by the light of the paraffin lamp, but I don't recall being cold though so I guess we must have wrapped up well.

Think I'd better investigate getting a smart meter installed as we don't have one here.
I think it's a good idea, going along the same lines as paying people with solar panels when they are contributing to the grid.

Thanks yes I can see now it would be the only way of verifying usage.