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Widespread, long duration local electric network failure

This assumes the failure of the electricity network over an entire region during the working week, lasting for 24 hours.

Because of our reliance on electricity, even localised losses of electricity can have a significant effect on people's daily lives.
Over Christmas 2013, storms battered parts of the UK and some areas were left without electricity for nearly a week.

What are we doing in County Durham and Darlington?

  • There has been no increase in the likelihood of a power cut affecting the whole of a region for 24 hours in recent years.
  • The UK electricity system is well managed, resilient and is operated to minimise the effect of any failure.
  • There are comprehensive plans in place for handling a complete national outage as well as outages in a number of local areas.
  • Working with the local electricity company, emergency services, local authorities, other utility companies and agencies to minimise the effects.
  • Identifying vulnerable people requiring special treatment in the event of a prolonged electric network failure.

What can you do?

  • Keep an emergency kit in your home containing items such as a wind-up torch and supplies of tinned food and drinking water.
  • Where appropriate register as a vulnerable customer with relevant companies.
  • Outages may come without warning, so consider how you can be prepared.
  • Be on alert for bogus callers posing as utility company workers.

Where can you get further information?

Install our web app.