Great Britain’s electricity system operator has gained new powers to implement rotating power cuts on short notice as a last-resort measure to prevent widespread blackouts, according to updated grid code rules that took effect this week.
Under the revised regulations approved by the industry regulator late last month, the National Energy System Operator (Neso) can now disconnect homes and businesses in designated areas to reduce electricity consumption by more than one-fifth with only eight hours’ notice. This represents the first instance in which the system operator can execute large-scale power cuts to stabilize the grid without invoking emergency government powers. The cuts would take the form of rotating three-hour blackouts across the country, designed to avert total power system collapse.
Neso officials characterized the measure as a contingency option that would only be deployed in “extreme and unlikely circumstances” after exhausting all other available alternatives. The new protocol addresses a gap between the operator’s existing but rarely-used powers—last invoked during the miners’ strikes in the 1970s—and broader government emergency measures designed for prolonged disruptions. According to the regulator Ofgem, the government’s electricity supply emergency code cannot be enacted quickly enough for short-notice supply squeezes and would affect 90 percent of electricity users across the country.
The rule changes underscore concerns about short-term power system imbalances that are difficult to predict, contrasting with larger-scale outages. Certain facilities including hospitals, water treatment works, and national security sites would remain exempt from planned cuts. The new powers complement existing measures such as disconnecting large industrial users and reducing regional grid voltage, which can decrease power consumption while minimally affecting critical infrastructure and data operations, though it may slow everyday household tasks like boiling kettles and charging devices.
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