Power cuts in rural Scotland

In some modern houses electricity is the only option.

I live rurally.
I have electricity
Combination gas boiler, we're in the last village with piped gas, others have oil
Electric shower
Dual fuel range cooker
Multifuel / woodburner stove
Little Camping gas stove.
2 decent power banks kept fully charged.
We have frequent power cuts, not just after storms; maintenance and wear and tear takes us out often as well on both gas and electricity, gas pipes have been flooded twice in the last year leaving us without for days.
With the combination of the above, we can stay warm, shower, cook,boil water etc if one or both goes out. Insane that electricity is anybodies only option on the islands.

....and also why those in more built up other parts of the UK are also bow not charged the full price of getting our island generated electricity to them. 😵‍💫

Quite, which is why those living on the Scottish islands were not charged the real cost of supplying them with electricity.

So all of Scotland being penalised is better?

And?
It's a national grid, not a grid with cost benefits for those who live closer.

We had a power cut for two days. I have a gravity fed oil aga so can cook/ heat. Then a woodstove with a back boiler for hot water. I think most rural houses are set up to cope with regular (ish) power cuts. Eat whatever is defrosting. It. does take quite a lot of energy keeping everyone fed /washed/warm/entertained.

It’s madness to have a rural house without a backup plan of a generator/ woodstove etc.

I went to the Highlands for my summer holiday this year. I went on a bus tour. The tour guide was telling the group about peat cutting and that you have to have permission to do it these days. I can understand the environmental impact of cutting peat, but on tne other hand it used to be a ready energy source in the Highlands.

I know about the power cuts too. Many houses have other means to keep the lights on when it happens. As a Southern Englander I've got no experience in lighting a fire or cooking over an open flame (I don't even have a gas connection) because I've never had to. As for communication, I'd be lost without a phone signal. So kudos to those who live through this often.

Probably easier and cheaper to get something like Starlink or other satellite internet rather than bring fibre to remote locations, but even if you put in the emergency call I guess there is a chance no one would be able to get to you anyway.

I forgot Hunterston had shut down. My point is, Scotland has always had some of the highest energy prices in the UK, despite that fact that around 80% of Scots live within the Central Belt. It's not that those who live in the Highlands and Islands are being penalised.

There's only one nuclear power station in Scotland (Torness), and that's due to close shortly.

Im not in the uk but storm Amy left us without power for 38 hours and not mobile coverage for 25 hours. The power is still a bit unreliable - its been off 4 times for about 90 mins total today. We're rural. I think it goes with the teritory.

I have family on Mull and they always have a back up because there's no mains gas on the island. Things such as having a camping stove, a coal fire (they had a peat fire when we first started going up 30 years ago). Gas bottles are also kept full in their caravan and for their kitchen.

Yes, the situation is changing now that renewable energy is taking off. In the past, however, the cost of maintaining connections, relative to the population, was astronomical. I'm also aware that prices are somewhat higher, but that applies everywhere in Scotland, even densely populated areas near nuclear power stations.

We live on a farm in semi rural Scotland. We get frequent power cuts, some small that it just switches off then on again, some last up to 24 hours. We usually have at least one longer one a year in wilder weather. We get used to it. We're not on the mains gas but our heating relies on electricity so we can't use that. We do now have a small bioethanol fire but we didn't for the last 13 years. You get used to it. The biggest issue is food in the freezer especially if you are like many people who live rurally and have it stocked with batch cooked meals. Or if you were just about to cook dinner and its something that goes in the "electric" oven. We do have gas hobs though so that helps to boil water and cook on.
Apart from the inconvenience, especially if you are working from home, we don't mind it at times. We get off our phones and sit in one (warm) room and play board games or chat by candlelight.

Are you aware how much electricity is actually generated in remote/island locations and how our average rates are some of the highest in the UK? With no mains gas available then electricity or oil is the only option if you're not keen on stinky polluting fires!
@Corporatepreggolady thank you for highlighting one of the problems faced by remote communities and hope you're still enjoying the holiday.

Yes its different if you are on holiday. Sorry you had such a hard time.

I am afraid most hot water and heating boilers don't work without electricity whatever the primary fuel. This definitely applies to oil and LPG which are the most common fuels in rural areas.

The other thing to be aware of is that a huge number of islanders in the Western Isles (and I think all of Shetland and Orkney?) are off the gas grid (hence electric heating). So electricity being down has more of an impact than if you have a gas connection, which at least means you have heating and hot water!

@Pleasehelpmedress
you need to push for the mobile system to be protected against power cuts the same way the fixed copper line network is today - that only works because there are generators attached to the phone network - you need batteries and generators and a level of duplicate coverage ( that’s where mast sharing is bad ) for the mobile network . It’s done in some places already but shout to Ofcom

Yes, we live in rural Scotland and have frequent power cuts. Usually less than 24 hours but after storm Arwen we had 5 or 6 days (I don't actually know as I was in hospital over an hour away with a newborn!)

Locally everyone has a wood stove and most/all have a camping stove for cooking on. Our wood burner has facility for it too. People help each other out a lot and will drop meals/thermos's off for vulnerable people.

The big recent change that is of huge concern for us is the decommissioning of landlines to fibre. Our mobile phone signal often is affected - and so in the case of this recent power cut (for more than 24 hours, with mobile masts being down, and internet not working because of no electricity) in case of an emergency you would have had to drive over 30 minutes to even be able to phone for help.

We live in on the West Coast of Scotland in an exposed spot. Power cuts happen quite regularly. Last January we had no power for three days after having 100MPH winds. Power cuts are common and to be expected in winter. Most last for no more than a few hours.

It's important to be prepared. You need to have a generator and to know how to start it and maintain it. We also have a camping stove and easy to heat foodstuffs. The other must have are rechargeable lanterns and power banks. Friends and neighbours are amazing for offering help so it doesn't seem that bad.

The sheer length of cabling to supply these islands and therefore fix is multiples of a more urban area. The cost that would be needed to prevent or reduce these cuts would be astronomical.

Used to live on an island, but now rural highlands, had more frequent power cuts on the mainland normally a couple a year, several days, basically our stove is lpg so can cook, have jackery to charge electronics, wood stove for alternative heat and lots of solar lights. Was watching the power cut map during the storm the other day, and it was crazy how much of the Scotland map was red.