uncle UK energy stations are preparing to hold emergency drills for the winter, fearing supplies will be tight this winter.
Insiders at two power plants said they were preparing for “wargame” contingency plans, with possible drills in September and October.
As part of the exercise, they could be asked to shut down gas stations to reduce high demand for the network, the Independent reports.
“We are wargaming with very serious scenarios. These are not unlikely scenarios,” said a senior official involved in energy planning.
“The reality is it’s going to be a very tight winter,” said Nick Wye, director of energy consultancy Waters Wye Associates.
“If it is very cold for an extended period of time, we can expect shortages, which could lead to customers being asked to reduce or close their inventories.”
Reports follow that households could be urged to turn down central heating and turn off lights to avoid power outages this winter.
A Whitehall emergency blueprint for a gas or electricity shortage includes a campaign of calls to reduce energy consumption.
Governments in Germany, Austria and France have already called for energy savings by cutting people’s showers, turning off lights and lowering thermostats.
National Grid has asked electric utilities to find ways to pay households to switch their consumption at peak times and reduce it at other times.
But British Gas and Shell reportedly have no plans to do that this winter.
An analysis by consultancy EnAppSys found that extreme restrictions on gas shipments across Europe could lead to blackouts in the UK.
The government has asked coal-fired power stations to remain open after the scheduled closing dates.
It is also working on the reopening of the Rough gas storage facility, off the east coast of England, which closed in 2017.
A spokesperson for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said: “We have one of the most reliable and diverse energy systems in the world, and unlike Europe, we are not dependent on Russian energy imports, meaning that households, businesses and industry can rest assured that they will get the electricity and gas they need.”