Are you ready for a power cut ?

[Mr_P]

Might be an idea to dig out your candles/ torches etc.. before the worst happens

http://www.gridwatch.templar.co.uk/

We had one lastr week, think it was flooding related not supply issues. Torches and candles/matches were on standby but I couldn't find any batteries for the radio grrrr luckily it was a short one.

 

[thetyreman]

Might be an idea to dig out your candles/ torches etc.. before the worst happens

http://www.gridwatch.templar.co.uk/

We had one lastr week, think it was flooding related not supply issues. Torches and candles/matches were on standby but I couldn't find any batteries for the radio grrrr luckily it was a short one.

I can guarantee it just won't happen, I need to build a dovetail candle box before christmas though just incase

 

[Claymore]

No worries I have a petrol generator...the joys of living very rural is our power lines go through our woodland so when the wind blows the cables snap...... and they still replace them in the same place dooooohhhhhhh

 

[curtisrider]

Our local substation set on fire yesterday, that was an interesting watch!

 

[ChrisR]

Petrol generator in the shed, ready for action. (hammer)

Chris.

 

[Ian down london way]

I work in a large office for a very large engineering company (some 200 staff in this office). Recently we've been getting notifications that we are having 'triad' periods from our electricity supplier. Clearly they are trying to see if they can compel industry to use less electricity at times of peak demand (e.g. we have one from 4:30pm till 6pm today). During that time, rather than 11p per kWH, we are to be changed £50 per kWH. yep, nearly 500 times the amount.

I've stuck up a notice above our kettle saying that boiling water for a cup of coffee which normally costs less than 2p, will cost over 80p during the period.

Sad state of affairs when the countries electricity supply is so close to being lower than demand. Still, that's what happens if we don't invest long term.

Picko clarification <2p was actually 0.18p. Traid code 83.33p
Similar numbers for using the lift in our building, about £1.00 per floor (going up) during triad period.

 

[Mr_P]

Don't panic the French/Chinese will save us eek omg what have we done.

Mr Phicko here but 2p in normal times and 80p at uber peak times ? shouldn't that be £10 ish ?

 

[RogerS]

OMG...just looked at it and we're running pretty much flat out. I read this morning that the French cable got cut/damaged by a ships anchor and so no reserve feed from there.

Can't really understand why the demand is so high. I know its cold but surely we can't all be running fan heaters ?

 

[DrPhill]

Yes, it suggests we need more nuclear.... what is that symbol in the top left? blue/white/red, and looks a bit like France? Surely they would have a completely unbiased view......?

 

[RogerS]

If you click on the link you can see Gridwatch for France

and it looks like France is also max'd out although they seem to have a fair bit of nuclear left. But lookie down the righthand side to UKW. Unless I'm mistaken we are giving them over a Gigawatt. :shock: It's ours. Give it back. We need it.

 

[Mr_P]

I read it currently as the French interconnector is supplying us 0.32 GW (0.66%)

Edit but on the French page it says we are supplying them 1.56GW almost 2%, think Sheffield University need a phone call.


Don't understand how for a similar population 64 UK , 66 million for them they have a smiths dial going upto 80GW and us only 55GW demand. Does France have a lot more heavy industry than us ?

As long as the wind keeps blowing we are fine, eek omg

 

[CHJ]

Does France have a much higher percentage of Rail electrification?

I believe France uses a much higher percentage of electricity for consumer heating than the UK, I did see reports a couple of winters ago that UK was feeding them up to the max of the cabling to try and prevent them from going dark.
Don't think it gets much better in summer due to air-conditioning.

Going to be interesting if we electrify more rail links quicker than we can get new power sources built.

 

[skipdiver]

It's amazing how many times threads on this forum coincide with life. Was at my nieces today fitting some wardrobe doors and because i was was waiting on a delivery this morning, i didn't get there until this afternoon. About 7 o'clock, just as i was finishing some trims around the doors, there was a powercut. I had tools everywhere, the alarm was going off, her little daughter started crying; complete chaos. Had to get all my gear together by the torch on my phone and leave it 'til tomorrow. She has just texted me to say that it's only now come back on again.

 

[stevep]

Power stations have been making an absolute fortune recently , with prices up to £900 Mwh.

 

[lurker]

Normally .......
French Nuclear supply a number of countries with very cheap juice as they have lots to spare and we rely on that over the winter.

However, a few months ago the french authorities told EDF to switch off quite a proportion of the reactors and get them inspected. This is due to potentially faulty steel castings supplied by another french company over the past 30 years. Blind eyes, palms greased, shoulders shrugged, political pressure for years but the truth about dodgy quality (well known for years in the industry) has finally been admitted.
so....... the British power Gen have known for many months its going to be tight and are just on a wing & a prayer now.

The stupidity of UK politicians flogging our Nuclear to EDF and not suppporting Sheffield Forgemasters will soon come home to roost.
Hinkley C will never be built!

 

[Cheshirechappie]

All this was foreseen as long as twenty years ago, and has been highlighted to government with increasing stridency pretty much ever since. Sadly, politics is a short-term game for most, and it's been easier to kick the can down the road.

We've failed to replace nuclear capacity as it's gradually reached the end of it's life and gone off-line (what's left is currently being flogged flat-out). We've pinned our faith on inherently unreliable and pretty well uncontrollable sources like wind and solar, and shut down reliable big generators (coal) without replacing the capacity. We've built some efficient gas stations, but arguably not enough. If we lose a big station to breakdown in the next three months or so, we've got an even bigger problem.

There are some emergency fall-backs. There now exist some small companies owning banks of diesel generators paid to be on standby - and paid very handsomely if their capacity is called on. As highlighted above, big users have been 'incentivised' (read 'punished') not to use juice at peak times.

I'm amazed the MSM are not reporting this. I can only think that the likes of the BBC daren't because it highlights the consequences of their climate change agenda.

 

[Deejay]

Morning Skipdiver

Sounds like you have just found another job, replacing the battery in the alarm.

Cheers

Dave

 

[skipdiver]

Morning Skipdiver

Sounds like you have just found another job, replacing the battery in the alarm.

Cheers

Dave

Nah! If it aint made of wood, i'm not touching it.

 

[Mr_P]

Think that site needs a government health warning, Caution might be addictive.

Not even 12 oc lcok and the French are almost in the red at 77.25GW
all well here, phew 46.33GW.

Lurker,
Is that the real reason Germany massively over reacted to Fukushima ?

 

[lurker]

Think that site needs a government health warning, Caution might be addictive.

Not even 12 oc lcok and the French are almost in the red at 77.25GW
all well here, phew 46.33GW.

Lurker,
Is that the real reason Germany massively over reacted to Fukushima ?

No.
The german thing is pure politics
"Mutti" (Merkel) needed the Greens on board to keep her job.
The shortfall was taken up by french nuclear ......go figure!

German reactors a quite decent; as you might expect their regulators are rigerous and they have retained the engineering know how.

I predict that in the spring she will get the boot and german nuclear will soon be back on line.