As the upcoming season is set to be tough, National Grid has brought forward its winter outlook release date, issuing the outlook next week rather than in the usual month of October
As concern about an upcoming gas or electricity supply shortage has grown, the National Grid has met with energy industry representatives.
This possible public appeal to use less energy is part of emergency contingency plans in place.
After Russia cut supply via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, EU countries have already been asked to reduce their gas usage by 15 per cent next month.
Comment: Russia was forced to reduce supplies - it has yet to cut it off entirely - after Germany, in league with Canada, held a turbine, critical to NSI's functioning, to ransom; these governments even acknowledged as much.
Among these are Germany, Austria and France, which have issued public appeals to shower for shorter, turn down thermostats and switch off lights.
Comment: A bit like using a teacup to evacuate water from the sinking Titanic. Although these useless measures likely will serve a number of purposes, not least being to acclimatize citizens to when the government really tightens the screws on energy restrictions. We can get an idea of what's really in store from the warnings of other governments of rolling blackouts, prioritizing certain businesses, even countries, over others, and Germany's, rather insidiously named, 'heat islands'.
The Telegraph has revealed that the UK government might be considering doing similarly.
The official contingency plans lay out how regular radio, television and social media appeals would be made. Posters and leaflets encouraging the public to reduce electricity and gas usage would also be issued.
Comment: Similar to how the government bought off the media during the lockdowns; in fact, a lot of what's brewing with the energy crisis is similar.
Additionally, the National Grid may even pay large energy users to switch off.
Comment: That's the government's cronies sorted, but what about the average citizen who has been paying up to triple for their energy?
However, Arjan Geveke, the director of the Energy Intensive Users Group, which represents industry, told the newspaper that this option would come after the public appeal had been tried.
"First of all they will want to do a public information campaign because that's the least costly option," he said. "There's obviously an increased risk of security of supply in the winter."
Another feature of the plans is National Grid's request to electricity suppliers, encouraging them to pay households to use energy when supply is at its peak - such as high solar power - and reduce usage at other times.
Comment: Solar power during winter in the UK?
However, two major national suppliers, British Gas and Shell, told The Telegraph this was not something they were planning on doing this winter.
As the upcoming season is set to be tough, National Grid has brought forward its winter outlook release date, issuing the outlook next week rather than in the usual month of October.
While Britain is not dependent on gas supplies from Russia, the country could still be hit by a surge in demand for other sources in Europe.
Analysis carried out for the newspaper by consultancy EnAppSys found that blackouts in the UK are a real possibility if there are extreme gas curtailments across Europe.
Comment: Since Europe is predictably failing at finding an alternative for Russian gas, because no other country has so much readily available resources, it's also predictable that Europe will need to resort to 'gas curtailiments', also known as energy rationing and blackouts.
Coal-fired power stations have been asked by the Government to stay open, despite their upcoming closure date. It is also set to reopen the Rough gas storage facility, five years after shutting.
Comment: Some commentators have highlighted that reopening shut power stations isn't like flicking a light switch, and that these reboots take time, and money.
But ministers are reportedly very reluctant to make the appeal to the public to reduce energy usage, believing instead that record high price will lead to a natural decrease in demand.
Comment: That's not a solution. That 'decrease in demand' will be the country's poorest and most vulnerable suffering because the UK is hell bent on pursuing its proxy-war against Russia.
Under the October price cap, annual energy bills could soar to as much as £3,244, according to new estimates from consultancy Cornwall Insight. From January, they could even reach £3,363.
If the worst-case scenario of millions of households experiencing electricity blackouts was at risk of coming to fruition, the Government would have to take action.
However, there are not any plans to actually cut gas use to households.
Comment: There never is, until an 'emergency' deems it necessary.
An update to the Government emergency protocols for gas and electricity supply is expected later this year.
A UK government spokesperson told the Telegraph: "The UK has no issues with either gas or electricity supply, and the government is fully prepared for any scenario, even those that are extreme and very unlikely to occur.
"National Grid Gas has standard, long-standing emergency procedures in place to protect the integrity of Britain's gas network in the extremely unlikely event of a supply emergency. Ministers are not involved in this process."
"A UK government spokesperson told the Telegraph: "The UK has no issues with either gas or electricity supply,"
So, which is it? Why all the warnings?