Rota Load Disconnections
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its impact on global energy markets mean the UK and Europe face a challenging winter. The energy industry is prepared and has well-established procedures in place if there is a national energy shortage.
One part of these procedures is planned emergency power cuts, called ‘rota disconnections’. These are very rare and temporary.
How would rota disconnections work?
If needed, customers would lose power for around three hours per day during the emergency, on an area-by-area basis. This would ensure power supplies are shared fairly with customers, and everyone has power for most of the day.
Customers would know when they would be without power by entering their postcode at powercut105.com to find their rota. The rota would only be published once emergency power cuts have been approved to take place.
When would they be used?
Rota disconnections would only be used after all other options, such as turning down industrial demand and voltage reduction, have failed to restore stability to the power system.
If required, the electricity system operator National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO) would legally instruct distribution network operators to disconnect power supplies. They would follow established procedures set out by the government in the Electricity Supply Emergency Code.
The Code ensures power is shared fairly across all customers during a national energy emergency.
National Grid ESO take several steps to protect customers before any emergency planned power cut instruction is given. These include:
- encouraging additional generation through the supply market.
- asking heavy industrial users to limit their demand during peak periods.
- reducing domestic power demand. This could include paying customers to change how and when they use appliances like washing machines and dishwashers or reducing voltage across the country by a small percentage, which would be undetectable.
While the winter is expected to be challenging, there is no guarantee emergency measures will be necessary. National Grid ESO’s central view remains that there will be adequate electricity supplies through the winter to ensure Great Britain remains within the reliability standards set by Ofgem.
Is anyone protected from emergency power cuts?
Some sites are protected from emergency planned power cuts. These include critical national infrastructure, like air traffic control centres and some major hospital facilities with accident and emergency departments.
Exemptions aren’t automatic and organisations have to apply for protected status. Residential customers, including those on the Priority Services Register and businesses without backup generation that are not listed as ‘protected’ by the government, would be part of an planned power cut rota.
Organisations would need to apply for protected status, following the Electricity Supply Emergency Code procedures.
If you depend on medical equipment that requires power, and don’t already have a power cut plan, you should speak to your healthcare provider now. Power cuts can happen all-year-round so it’s important you are prepared, make a plan and know what to do.