British households have been advised to brace for a potential blackout by energy firms as the coronavirus lockdown continues.
Checkout Magazine gathered that Energy firms have suspended all non-essential work as they brace for a potential shortage in engineers caused by staff sickness and self-isolation.
The National Grid has sought to reassure the British public it can cope with the surge in demand as people stay indoors and work from home during the outbreak.
However UK Power Networks, which provides electricity to the southeast and east of England, including London, has written to vulnerable customers with advice on what to do if there is a power cut.
In a letter to those on the firm’s priority services register, seen by The Daily Telegraph, UK Power Networks gives customers guidance on how to stay warm, keep medicines and food as cold as possible and how to make sure they can call for help.
Customers are advised to keep a “torch handy” as well as “a hat, gloves and blanket” and to trap heat inside their property by closing curtains and doors to any unused rooms.
In an update on its website, UK Power Networks said it was “postponing lower priority work” but that all essential work would continue “including fixing power cuts on the rare occasions they happen”.
It wrote: “Put simply, our top two priorities are the safety of our staff and customers and keeping the lights on, so that essential services are provided to our communities and that today’s high-tech lifestyles can continue.”
Nicola Shaw, UK executive director for National Grid, has insisted no one should be concerned about their energy supply as more of us stay at home.
She added: “In fact, demand across the country is expected to reduce; largely owing to a decrease in energy use from industrial consumers, which is likely to be greater than the increase in domestic demand as people stay at home.”
