As pps have commented, I'm getting a strong sense of deja vu re the early days of covid. Remember when BJ was skipping COBRA meetings (too busy sorting out the financial details of his divorce and procrastinating about telling his kids that Carrie was pregnant)? Boasting about shaking hands with patients? They were dying in the streets in Italy but over here it was just going to be a bad case of flu? They resisted preventative measures then, too. Said the British public wouldn't put up with being told what to do. Not like those sheep over the Channel.
I think it's partly because Truss' laser-like focus on growth means anything happening in the periphery of her blinkered vision is just a blur. But mainly, as with covid, once the govt caves in and is actually forced to address the problem, they own it and open themselves up to criticism for the effectiveness of their response. 'It's Putin's fault' won't wash any more. We'll be blaming the Tory Govt and asking why things are better in France or Germany.
Btw, I was a mum of 2 toddlers and a third on the way during Heath's power cuts. They did it more or less by Borough, or sections of densely-populated ones. You'd be driving through S.London in pitch black and then Lewisham would appear, lit up like Las Vegas by contrast.
The big danger was families using paraffin stoves or lighting fires in blocked up chimneys, so I hope the Fire Brigade is making their own public information plans.