Utilities Disruption
This includes:
- water
- electricity
- gas
- oil
- fuel
- broadband
Some utilities are dependent on others to work and an electricity network failure could affect a wide range of essential services. Even a local electricity outage could have a significant impact.
What could happen?
- people may lose power to heat their homes
- disruption to essential services such as water supplies, transport, telecommunications, health care provision, the internet and schools
- street light and security system failures
- traffic light failures causing congestion
What can you do?
- be prepared for an outage with an emergency kit in your home containing a wind-up torch/radio, supplies of tinned/dried food and drinking water. Make sure your mobile phone and any spare battery packs are fully charged if you know extreme weather is forecast. It could provide you with vital access to help, online services and contact with friends and family
- if required, register as a vulnerable customer with relevant companies – call 0800 169 2996 to speak to Northern Powergrid Priority Services. Or speak to Electricity North West call 0800 195 41 41. Let your phone or broadband provider – the company you pay your bill to – know too so you will be prioritised during repair work
- stay alert for hoax callers posing as utility company workers
You can also find your electricity network operator by visiting the Powercut 105 website or calling free 105. This website has lots of useful advice about how to prepare for power outages.
Please visit the Northern Power Grid website for up-to-date local power cut information. There is also further advice on the Northern Power Grid website about preparing yourself before a power cut and planning ahead in case your power goes out.
Please visit the Yorkshire Water website for information on how you can get assistance in the event of an interruption to your water supply.
Please visit the Northern Gas Networks website for advice if you are a priority customer.
What are we doing
- identifying vulnerable people who would require assistance in the event of an electric network failure
- working with local electricity companies, emergency services, local authorities and other utility companies to minimise the impact
- creating comprehensive plans to handle a complete national outage