Do you think we will have electricity/gas rationing this winter?

[lonelyapple]

Apparently the Government have assessed a "reasonable worst case scenario" which would involve rationing electricity to 6 million homes this winter if Russia cuts off further gas supplies to Europe.

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/power-cuts-energy-bills-russia-b2090163.html

What a lovely dystopian present we are living in :(.

YANBU = Yes, there will be power cuts/utility rationing.
YABU = Nope, it won't happen, the Tories are excellent at planning for such contingencies (joke).

I believe I'm rigjt in saying we don't get gas from Russia,, at least not the majority. The rest of Europe does.

I think rationing likely to be self-imposed given the price hikes. People simply won't be able to afford 'unlimited' (or even necessary in many cases) use of heating and so on.

If it does come in I think it's likely only to be for major, unneeded consumption, e.g. heating leisure swimming pools. I don't think it will be needed for the average person in the average house.

I think it's quite likely tbh. We have become too reliant on imports, not tackled the ageing nuclear power plants or invested in new ones and been too slow with renewables.
I remember the 70s. Planned power cuts and petrol rationing. I wish I had got my finger out with solar panels a long time ago.
It's frankly scary to me. And that is before we get to the food situation.

It doesn't matter that we don't import from Russia. We import from Norway. Other European countries will turn there. We are no longer in the EU with huge block purchasing power. And the price rises will be eye watering. We haven't seen anything yet....

Why only six million, and which ones?

I suppose if they ration each households use eg no more than 12 hrs a day most people don't use it through the night so maybe very easy .

As someone else said though the sheer cost will mean people are careful .

Not all homes have gas central heating. Lots are oil-heated. And as for electricity, many newer homes have solar panels.

In answer to your question OP, I don't know if we'll have rationing. I think it's possible in that it is of course one of many scenarios, but I don't know how likely it is.

But this is one of the reasons I like open fires. I know MN hates them, but if rationing does become a problem then I'm going to my mothers where she has an open fire and a huge bloody woodpile. At least a couple of rooms in the house will have reliable heat!

I'll be doing my own rationing 😰

They did this a good few decades back didn't they? Turned the power off in home for a few days at a time unless you were on the same loop as a hospital/essential building.

I have gas for central heating and my hobs/oven so would be a pain if it was during the day! I never have heating on overnight (10 till 7) so that wouldn't be too much of an issue but I am lucky enough to live in a very well insulated house.

We had rolling electricity blackouts in the 1970's so that during generation shortages, power could be directed where it's essential (hospitals, water sui[pplies, and essential industry). There was no choice; when the power went out you sat in the dark (or used candles and oil lamps).

(Gas wasn't and won't be turned off . They can't turn off domestic gas supplies safely because of leaks when service returns.) But without electricity ( pump, ignition) , Ggas CH won't work anyway .

Rationing of a sort by price. People dying of cold more than usual because of the fear they cannot pay the bill. More coughs and colds because of inadequately heated and damp homes. More fires because people who have not used open fires for years start them again.

@Lockheart

Gas and oil central heating won't work during power cuts. They rely on electric pumps and ignition.

I was all pleased with us when I found this out - but then the report on the news about the contingency plans mentioned the possibility that "our" supplies from Norway might be re-routed to mainland Europe if they were short.

I still don't think it will happen though.

Yes I think so I advise people to start prepping now because when the panic buyers come in the winter it will be too late. Batteries, calor gas, seasoned wood etc

Oh right, so how do you propose the Leisure Centres pay their bills & wages? It might be an unnecessary leisure pursuit (for you, for some it's an important facility) but it's still a business as much as restaurants/theatres etc

It won’t matter too much - a couple of hours a day would be fine for most people, as long as they’re not old or infirm in some way.

I’d rather the Govt did have a contingency plan than didn’t.

I think rationing likely to be self-imposed given the price hikes.

yep

Yes I think so I advise people to start prepping now because when the panic buyers come in the winter it will be too late. Batteries, calor gas, seasoned wood etc

not sure that's advisable,

I don't think it will happen but it is a possibility. I do feel like I'm reliving my youth, back in the 70's I had to make sure I had done my homework before the electric went out. The adults were worried about inflation and interest rates and there was loads of talk about the rights and wrongs of joining Europe in what they called the Common market. At least we all had fun at the silver jubilee celebrations.

Sorry, what I meant was private leisure swimming pools in homes - I used the word leisure to distinguish them from, e.g. therapy pools that a disabled person might used.

I'm a child of the 70's, i remember blackouts with (childish) fondness. We made candles (in the daytime) & had fun. You can do this for your children (or just yourself, warm clothes & blankets, thermos, hot water bottle before the power is turned off' and remain positive.

I don't think they'll do that though, they seemed to think overnight dimming of streeet lights/office blocks etc will be enough (on top of people choosing to limit useage).

If this is how things are going to be then that's fine. We've been through far worse lately. Then there are all the people in this world who would love to have electricity for just a couple of hours each day. No, I couldn't get het up about this, if it's what we need to do.

How would this rationing actually work? Would we need to regulate ourselves and be fined for overuse? Would we need to submit weekly meter readings (if we don't have smart meters)? Could Joe Bloggs be relied upon to do this?

Don't get me wrong, it will be the fairest option but there's so much scope for it to go tits up for millions.

Sorry, I was a bit snappy.

In the U.K. are private pools on a separate circuit? Where I used to live they're not & you wouldn't be able to physically, remotely restrict the power to heat them, but I suppose they could cap how much a homeowner is allowed to use, effectively making people choose not to heat their pools.

I think a lot of 'decorative' stuff would need to stop first.