Utilities Disruption

This includes:

  • water
  • electricity
  • gas
  • oil
  • fuel

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.

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Volunteers packing up food parcel boxes

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 and radio, supplies of tinned or dried food and drinking water
  • If required, register as a vulnerable customer with relevant companies – call 0800 169 2996 to speak to Northern Powergrid Priority Services
  • Stay alert for hoax callers posing as utility company workers
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A boy reading by torchlight

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