People could die or be left 'traumatised' in planned blackouts this winter

12 October 2022, 10:46 | Updated: 12 October 2022, 11:11

By Guy Stewart

@Guy_ar_Stewart

The mother of a child with complex medical needs has warned that National Grid blackouts this winter because of an energy crisis could put her daughter’s life at risk and leave her “traumatised”.

Last week the National Grid ESO’s winter outlook advised that in an extreme scenario where the UK’s gas supply from Europe was depleted, rota load shedding could be necessary.

Carolynne Hunter, from Clackmannanshire in Scotland, said the news had left her confused and anxious about what protection would be in place for her daughter Freya – who lives at home with round the clock life-support.

Ms Hunter told LBC that whenever there had been a power cut before, she was left panicking to get electricity for Freya’s medical equipment.

She said: “It got to the stage that we were thinking right, we’ll have to rev up the engine for the next hour to charge up the suction machine. So that's how bad it was.”

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While outages during rota load shedding wouldn’t be unpredictable like an extreme weather event, it remains unclear from the UK Government’s emergency strategy which domestic users are guaranteed to stay connected.

Despite being on SP Energy Network’s Priority Service Register, according to guidance from the Energy Network Association, there is no assurance the Hunters, families like them, or people with a medical dependency on electricity would not be affected.

Ms Hunter said that power is vital to her daughter’s care, not just having light to administer medicine, but to keep essential respiratory devices running.

“The nebuliser is part of her life support, her airway support,” she said.

“And so if we can’t loosen the secretions in the back of her throat, then she's got no way she's going to cough them up. They would block off of the airway, and that becomes a fatal situation.”

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Ms Hunter said families like hers live constantly on the brink of a medical emergency, and a steady supply of power is essential to avoiding that.

She added: “The other thing we've had to do before when the suction machine’s failed and when we've been out and about - which is why we don't go out a lot out of fear - we've had to actually put the suction catheter in Freya’s mouth and suck, and just basically suck her mucus out to save her life.”

Ms Hunter was aware that in the event the Electricity Supply Emergency Code is instituted, she would be given notice. But part of what was causing her added stress was not knowing what is in place to protect her daughter.

“I would say this is going to have a massive impact on the NHS as well because if I’m not able to provide Freya safe care at home, then I would probably have to get an ambulance to take her to hospital,” the mum of four said.

“So how does that work? Because there's not just me that's having this problem, this is a serious issue.”

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Since the National Grid’s announcement, vulnerable people like Freya Hunter have been on the minds of campaigners like Frazer Scott, Chief Executive Officer at Energy Action Scotland.

Mr Scott recognised that not misinterpreting the warning was important, given officials deemed it a worst-case scenario, and very unlikely. But he added: “I think what wasn't provided was any real reassurance around what the actual likelihood is.

“And if it were to happen, what protections would be in place for particularly vulnerable people.”

He said it was incredibly worrying that the information came out without the provision of any guidance for vulnerable people.

Mr Scott said: “It's hard to imagine the things that could happen even with a well flagged power outage.

“I still fear for people who will not have got the message. Or if they got the message, they simply mistimed much of their life.

“For example, someone halfway up the stairs on a lift or someone who's in a bath and needs a power hoist in order to get out.”

The energy and sustainability expert said that if there were more smart meters in UK homes, priority service households could have been identified easily and would therefore avoid potential blackouts.

He added: “Surely our system is more sophisticated than it was in the 1970s, but admittedly we only have about half the households or less than half in Scotland have a smart meter.”

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Britain-wide, figures from the UK Government back in 2021 suggested about 44% of domestic properties were fitted with a smart meter.

Meanwhile, the impact of the cost of living crisis on people with disabilities has been researched by the Health and Social Care Alliance, alongside Disability Equality Scotland, who found that of the 400 people they surveyed, 97% were worried about being able to heat their homes and feed themselves this winter.

Jane Miller, from the Alliance, has also voiced concern to LBC about the need for clear information on the energy crisis and how it impacts vulnerable groups.

“There’s something really important around information being accessible to everybody,” Ms Miller said.

“For example, if you have a visual impairment and are sent a letter, you could miss that vital information.

“So, it’s really important if guidance is going to be produced, it’s got to be really clear that it’s going to be accessible to the range of groups that require it.

“Engaging with these specific groups is so important.”

Fintan Slye, Executive Director of the National Grid ESO, said: “Under our Base Case, as set out in the Winter Outlook, we are cautiously confident that there will be adequate margins through the winter period.

“As an expert and responsible operator of Great Britain’s electricity system it is incumbent on us to also factor in external factors and risks beyond our control like the unprecedented turmoil and volatility in energy markets in Europe and beyond.

“Our illustrative scenarios outline how we would respond to any challenges around interconnector availability and potential impacts to gas supplies for power generation.

“We’ve engaged with and continue to work with the National Grid Gas System Operator, System Operator counterparts in Europe, government, the energy regulator and the energy industry.

“We’ve also taken prudent action in agreeing winter contingency contracts for coal and developing our innovative Demand Flexibility Service to compliment the robust set of tools we already use to balance the electricity system every day.”

A BEIS spokesperson said: “The UK has a secure and diverse energy system. We are confident in our plans to protect households and businesses, including vulnerable households, in the full range of scenarios this winter, in light of Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine.

"We continue to work closely with Ofgem and National Grid to prepare for the upcoming winter.”

SP Energy Networks was approached for comment.