The switching was on the HV lines, virtually all of which could be done remotely. We did have an area known as the wet string area (a comment on the capacity of the ancient overhead lines) which was still being updated and needed some manual switching. Protected consumers might also need an engineer to be out in the field to ensure they kept their supply.
For a large proportion of the UK population they'd have to learn to speak French German, Spanish or Scottish to speak at the AGM of their supplier.
For the 'big 6'
EDF (French) E.ON (German) npower (German) Scottish Power (Spain) SSE (Scottish) British Gas (UK)
There is also lots of foreign investment in our gas and electricity distribution networks.
A key fact to remember is that there is *no obligation to supply* The senile vindictive little shit Thatcher got rid of that requirement in 1989. The free market will now decide that your lights will go out as they see fit or they will charge for supply at such a rate you can't afford it. You could shoot striking miners or power workers to motivate them to get back to work. Now you'd get tossers like William Hague calling in the Spanish Ambassador to tell him to have a word with Iberdrola CEO.
So welcome to the new dark ages. Thatchers enduring legacy. Bitch.
It has today, but I was also thinking of being able to opt out of the FIT for solar.
If people could opt for their own choice of generation and pay for their electricity in proportion to the real cost of that generation, we would soon see just how popular renewable energy really is.
I was a hospital engineer. Some acute hospitals were affected. All non-essential critical work was cancelled. Some patients had to be moved elsewhere. No fatalities were caused. Some emergency generators had to be run.
Back in thoses days surgery was carried out in smaller hospitals to an extent not done nowadays.
There will be none. We will be competing with every Indian and Chinaman for coal, oil and gas. (A diminishing resource) The UK frack gas will not be cheap and it will upset a lot of people extracting it. (And it will be done) It will buy us a few years that's all. It's like asking for cheap diamonds. Not going to happen.
So you need to take your own pecautions instead of burying your head in the sand
Don't fret daydreamer. All the fossil fuel/nuclear powered electricity will cost even more when new power stations have to be built/funded. Cheap energy is finished.
Continually repeating your rubbish won't make it any more true Harry. Renewable energy is so much more expensive than nuclear that new nuclear can go seriously over budget and still be cheaper.
I pointed out that my parents' ex-neighbour suffered from severe emphysema and dependeded upon an oxygen concentrator. If the power went off, the back-up was an oxygen cylinder - however he was too weak to turn it on, so he had no backup unless someone was in the house 24/7. Occassionally his wife had to take a chance and visit the local shops. This was a suburban area with no history of inturruptions of more than a few seconds, so pretty safe. However if blackouts were likely to happen at any time, anyone in a similar situation would even be worried about having a shower!
My father had a battery powered oxygen concentrator. It was so he could go out as the cylinders are a pain.
It was even used during his cataract op as the hospital didn't have oxygen in the eye depts theatres and it meant avoiding a long wait for one of the main theatres.
It would run for about 8 hours on a pair of laptop style batteries and they were hot swap.
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