Power outages more commonplace

Power outages, once commonplace during the 1970s, are becoming more frequent. Last week electricity demand increases saw outages across Britain with several power stations shutting down including Sizewell B nuclear power plant. In east London today an outage hit several hundred homes setting off alarms across the district. The reliance on electricity does not become apparent until such an outage. Not only do the lights go out, but also the TV, radio, computer and internet. Fridges and freezers also shut down creating potential hazards if the outage persists for any length of time. Hitting as it did shortly before 17:00 BST [16:00 GMT] there were many meals waiting to be cooked in ovens across parts of the London Borough of Havering. As to when the power will return can only be guessed. And this has been posted only with the availability of battery power and Vodafone’s mobile internet [what to do in a blackout]. There were several other power outages reported in the UK in the last 48 hours. In Southport, near Merseyside on the west coast, more than 2000 residents lost power [Southport News]. On Monday night thousands were left without electricity in the Watford area, north west of London, after thieves stole "vital components" from an electricity substation [Watford Observer]. And in the Derby area residents were hit by the fifth powercut in less than ten weeks [Derby Telegraph]. Power is often restored within 2 or 3 hours, but only after creating inconvenience and uncertainty for thousands.