UK power cut warning prompts fear for people using life-saving machines
Rolling power cuts enforced this winter if gas supplies run extremely low could endanger thousands of people who use life-saving machines at home, health leaders have warned.
They spoke out after National Grid warned on Thursday that households could experience a series of three-hour electricity outages this winter to manage extreme gas shortages, for example if Vladimir Putin shuts off supplies from Russia and cold weather sends demand soaring.
Such an event would mean consumers in different parts of the country being notified a day in advance of three-hour blocks of time during which their power would be cut off.
The government has resisted calls for a public information campaign to encourage consumers to cut back on electricity and gas. However, the Guardian understands that after the National Grid announcement, it will direct people to trusted sites where they can get energy-saving information and tips.
The prospect of rolling power outages caused alarm among some health groups, with particular concerns for the thousands of vulnerable patients who rely on electrical devices to keep themselves alive and healthy.
Laurie Cuthbert, a director of Kidney Care UK, a health charity, said thousands of adults and children depended on a constant source of power to provide life-saving dialysis at home.
“This is very energy intensive … as for some people this treatment takes place several times every day for shorter periods, and for some this takes place every day, or overnight, for up to eight to 10 hours a time,” he said. “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.”
Andy Fletcher, the chief executive of
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