To be worried about significant possibility of gas shortages

[QuebecBagnet]

Ofgem have released a warning saying there’s a significant possibility of gas shortages this winter which would mean power stations can’t make electricity and possible blackouts.

I guess silver lining is cheaper electric bills. Can you claim your standing charge back if there’s no supply?

www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-63118574.amp

I'm not worried. If we all worried about every single scaremongering story on the news every bloody day, we'd all be dead from the stress. Just roll with the punches, and don't worry about anything, until you need to.

Exactly this.

I guess. I am glad I have a log burner, will always be able to keep one room warm.

I live up north. My power already goes off at least twice a month. I'm not worried at all.

I think logically putin will wait until its freezing then shut off the gas.

I know the UK doesn't rely on ridd7an gas but there will be a knock on effect.

And as you've said, it'll reduce our electricity supply, I think half comes from gas stations. And without electricity water pumps won't work either.

I think if this happens we'll probably be rationed, get maybe 6-12 hours a day which will be fine. Plenty of time to cook, warm up and prep for when it's off.
Or possibly they'll encourage lower usage by price tiers.

I've never been much of a prepper, but I've considered what I would do in the above scenarios and in the case of a few days energy cut. Im making sure i have a stock of food that doesn't require much cooking, a non mains way to cook (storm kettle /bbq), several litres of drinking water and a barrel of water for washing /flushing loos. Plenty of powerbanks and some USB heat pads.

It's amazing how the mumsnet response to every unfolding event is "ignore it and it will go away".

My house is full of blankets - both of the heated and regular variety. We also have a decent supply of hot water bottles and I've just had the chimney swept and checked. Heat-wise we should be able to keep one room toastie warm and the beds warm with or without gas and I've spoken to my older vulnerable relative and made it clear that if there's a problem she comes to us. I'm going to be making sure the guest room is clear for that eventuality.

(Or I guess I could wait until it happens and panic that the room is full of junk, blankets are all bought by panic buyers and discover the sweep is booked out for months, try to light the fire anyway and cause a chimney fire).

We're lucky enough to have solar panels which attach to a solar battery and ours is the type that can function as a generator. As daylight goes down I'll be twiddling that so it stores more for blackouts than it uses on a day to day basis. If it's full and we're careful (IE, don't take an electric shower in a powercut or try running the washer/dryer) we should have enough for a couple of days freezer/fridge/microwave/lights.

As a real back up I've got a wonderbag which functions like the old hayboxes; you get something scorching hot then insulate through the day. Also have thermos flasks. If there were scheduled blackouts those would come out.

Is that really the norm?

I am worried. I said a couple of weeks ago that this would be worse than anything we've ever seen (unless you lived during WWII). I think that people are trying desperately to cover their ears. I have worked in oil and gas and I've worked in finance. Don't think that we have hit rock bottom. It will (in my opinion) get a lot worse than most of us can even imagine.

Apologies that I can't provide a better opinion.

We have bought a generator

I think I’ve reached the point now where I’m just, “Meh, ok then just another thing” when more bad news comes our way.

There was significant damage to a pipe recently, although I didn’t read the full details.

How do you deal with food in the freezer (and fridge)?

It was the Russians' explanation for reneging on their deal to provide gas to Germany on the Nordstream line. I'm pretty sure that you and I know that there is no damage. We have crippled Russia financially and they are crippling us in return.

I've known this was a possibility for a while now. I bought some cheap LED battery powered lights from the pound shop and a camping stove so we can have hot food and drinks if it gets really cold or the power is off for a while.

We like to buy our gas from nuclear power plants in Russia. We don't like to build our own. It puts us in a very vulnerable position and Putin doesn't care. Do we care about Russians?

@swg1

It's amazing how the mumsnet response to every unfolding event is "ignore it and it will go away".

Literally NO-ONE has said this. But to worry yourself into an early grave about every bloody thing, that the news programmes report on - many THAT HAVE NOT EVEN HAPPENED YET - is batshit.

As for the rest of your post up there. (at 19.06...) ^ Well, words fail me. You really need to get out more (or get some hobbies) to be honest...

@swg1 I bet you have a 40-ton truck load of tinned food and loo rolls too. Along with 100s of packets of cupasoup, 1000 pot noodles, and 500 bags of crisps.

The EU, the US and the UK are limiting their 'war' tactics to financial tactics while also attempting to cripple Russia. They don't seem to have factored in just how dependent we are on Russia. Russia is now using the same tactics.

I think power cuts will happen. (And, by the by, I think that’s what will finish off Liz Truss - you heard it here first, folks 😉)

Energy market experts have been predicting that winter blackouts are a distinct possibility for a while now (see the “Old Sparky” column in Private Eye, for one). DH has also worked bailing out businesses in the energy sector and suspects the same. It’s a perfect storm of low UK gas storage capacity, wholesale gas market turmoil, high costs, France and Norway facing their own energy crunches, coal and nuclear power generation closing by reaching the end of its life without replacement investment, competition for LNG, institutional resistance and vested interests refusing renewables etc etc. So, loads of reasons. A perfect storm.

There’s much households can do to sensibly prep. But it will affect us more than annoying domestic power cuts. There’s likely to be energy rationing, which means floodlights can’t be used for your kid’s winter football training, leisure centres closed because pools can’t be heated, schools sent home early, streetlights switched off at 8pm, everyone told to switch lights off.

The advice to conserve energy has not been given and should be. It will be like Covid all over again with the Govt negligently denying there is a problem, refusing to implement sensible energy saving measures and thereby creating a bigger problem until power rationing is an emergency necessity.

Can't fault you. I've just ordered another 500kg of smokless coal. Got my chimney swept couple of weeks ago.

I also have solar panels, but not many and not as efficient a set up as yours.

I've also got water butts, water purification tablets, candles, tons of dried and packaged goods, plus bottled water. Camping stove plus gas, pots to use on the solid fuel burner, hot water bottles. Also, like you, have lots of blankets and just bought more. We use this stuff anyway so why not? It's great never running out of stuff and being able to plan our shopping more.

Off to Google some of your other ideas such as the wonderbag...

Blankets - I've had a good supply for years because I prefer not to literally burn money

Solar battery / generator - from about April to October over 50% of my electricity is free. From around June to September it's 100%. In the north in a non south facing house. I didn't buy it because of gas supplies, I bought it two years ago with an inheritance because I suspected it might be a decent long term investment and holy shit have I been right.

Chimney sweep - I happen to not like burning my house down by leaving basic maintenance to the last minute.

Wonder bag - actually incredibly handy for hot meals on cold days out.

Older family member - I mean sure you might like leaving your family members to worry and fret but actually I quite like knowing mine are looked after. We've taken her before during COVID and she drives me mad but it's still worth the phone all to say I would again.

Entire plan - a couple of hours one evening glancing over existing resources, checking what seasonal maintenance needed doing (chimney sweep) and checking how much power the solar battery actually stores. One meal last week checking I had a pot that fits well in the wonder bag. But yes anyone who thinks more than a week ahead and actually plans for emergencies is terrible and has no life.

Dh also works in the energy sector and has been saying for a while it’s a big risk because of how weak the uk infrastructure is. Even before Ukraine.

we camp quite a bit so have stuff like gas bottles and a stove. Water purification system. Really hoping it doesn’t get that bad. Good idea to keep power banks powered up and a stash of water.

The advice to conserve energy has not been given and should be. It will be like Covid all over again with the Govt negligently denying there is a problem, refusing to implement sensible energy saving measures and thereby creating a bigger problem until power rationing is an emergency necessity.
Tiered pricing should have been brought in instead of the current price cap. Higher limits for vulnerable people or equivalent assistance. They are subsidising well off high energy users and many low energy users will still struggle to pay.

@swg1 I think you sound very sensible. I wish we had a fireplace that we could get the chimney swept for!

I was just talking to DH about hay boxes the other day, funnily enough.

We have a generator but although they are good for the caravan, they can't run that much at once and have to stay outside.