Running Out Of Gas?

[dave50]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5449275/Gas-supply-run-demand-hits-six-year-high.html
Cut the supply to known environmentalists, global warming activists, climate change activists, the Green Party and anti fracking protesters. It is partly due to these idiots we are in this position.

[ladybirder]

You're welcome gness. I would love to have them. Save me peering into a hole in the ground where it's dark and the meter is covered in cobwebs and condensation so I can't read the damn thing.

[New Judge]

“They will disconnect you if there is a power generation shortage. When the demand for power is more than the maximum generating capacity , ordinary homes will be disconnected to save electricity for essential users like hospitals ,vital industry and military bases.”

Many, many homes will be disconnected in the event of power shortages, Eddie. You may recall in the 1970s when power cuts were common that large areas were disconnected periodically. The energy companies do not need to cut power supplies on a house by house basis; they can disconnect large areas at a time (at sub-station level) and do not need Smart Meters to do so. The one thing Smart Meters will facilitate (and what the paper in your link explains) is actually the precise opposite to your contention. If mass cut-offs are necessary, vulnerable and priority customers will be able to be excluded from those outages by virtue of Smart Meter programming.

As has been mentioned (and as was confirmed during the recent scaremongering stories in the press) when gas supplies are threatened it is large industrial consumers who will be hit first.

[THECORBYLOON]

Businesses would be asked to reduce or stop consumption before domestic customers were affected. The National Grid pays compensation to businesses who do this.

[gness]

My meters weren't quite that bad, LB...but still a faff to read if I didn't want estimated bills.

Now I can just forget about that bit.....I can see instantly at any time how much I'm using and though it's not a problem and hasn't changed very much it does make me remember to turn off outside and garage lights before going to bed.....x

[gness]

Corby....am I right in thinking that businesses sign up for cheaper fuel by agreeing to accept reduced or no consumption at times?

[Jackdaw33]

I remember the power cuts in 1972 under the Heath regime with the three-day week. I was in the RAF at the time and our power would regularly go off between 6 and 9 pm. I distinctly recall playing bridge by candlelight.

[EDDIE51]

Yes NJ ,I remember the power cuts of the 1970's. We had a timetable of when the cuts would be. We would be waiting for the power to go off.

[EDDIE51]

The fact remains that there is a fixed amount of Gas available. We can't generate gas as we can electricity. Electricity is infinitely available due to Solar ,Nuclear,and Hydro / wind generation. We WILL run out of Gas. We can never run out of electricity.

[EDDIE51]

Further to the answer to the power cuts being by 'Areas' , we were in one area while the house next door was in the adjacent area. When our electricity was cut we ran our freezer off an extension lead from next door. Then we changed over when ours was off and next door was on.