Health leaders have warned that rolling power cuts enforced this winter could endanger thousands of people who rely on life-saving machines at home. The warning follows National Grid's announcement on Thursday that households could face three-hour electricity outages to manage extreme gas shortages, for instance if Russia cuts supplies and cold weather drives up demand.
Laurie Cuthbert, a director of Kidney Care UK, said thousands of adults and children depend on a constant power supply for home dialysis. “Any interruption to the power supply would put the treatment itself at risk, and if people on dialysis miss too many sessions in a row then their lives will be at risk,” he said. Andy Fletcher, chief executive of Together for Short Lives, added that a three-hour blackout could deprive seriously ill children of vital equipment such as ventilators and oxygen.
Key sites including hospitals, airports and water treatment works would not be disconnected under the proposals, unless there is a total blackout. Rory Deighton of the NHS Confederation said the NHS has robust emergency planning in place, but Miriam Deakin of NHS Providers warned that power cuts would add to pressures on an already stretched health service.
Charities are calling on energy companies to prioritise vulnerable customers. Caroline Abrahams of Age UK said it is essential that the National Grid exempts vulnerable households from any planned outage. Each energy supplier operates a priority service register for people with disabilities, chronic conditions, over-60s, and families with young children. About 6 million people in Great Britain are on such registers, according to Ofgem.
The government has resisted calls for a public information campaign to encourage energy saving, but will instead direct people to trusted sites like Ofgem for advice. Government insiders denied that a formal campaign is planned.
