Summer Preparedness – Beat The Heat
Climate change is driving higher temperatures across the UK, leading to increasingly hot weather conditions. This rise in temperature poses a range of challenges, particularly for public safety and the functioning of essential utility networks.
Priority Service Register
If you are a vulnerable customer or need additional assistance during an outage.
GTC aims to provide a reliable and safe electricity and gas supply. However, we unfortunately cannot guarantee an uninterrupted supply 100% of the time.
For engineers working in the field, prolonged exposure to high temperatures increases the risk of heat-related illnesses such as heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Added rest time for our engineers is needed, which may result in requiring further resource and a delay in restoring your electricity and gas supply.
As the frequency and intensity of heatwaves continue to rise, both public health and utility services will face increasing pressure to adapt and respond to these new challenges.
It is vital to be aware of who to contact during an outage and knowing what steps you need to take if the power goes out to stay safe and cool this summer.
How to prepare for an electricity outage
Prevent dehydration
Fill up bottles of water, especially if you live in a flat as the water pump may also be affected during a loss of electricity supply.
Have a charged mobile phone
Make sure your phone is fully charged. If you have a rechargeable battery pack, make sure this is charged up and ready to use. This is important if you have a web-based phone, as this won’t work in a power cut.
Fuel your car
If you have an electric vehicle, make sure your car is charged up. Take a look at ZapMap to find nearby charge points if your power goes out.
Keep Your House Cool
Close blinds and curtains that are exposed to direct sunlight during the day.
Barbecue Safety
BBQs can stay hot for hours, so be cautious about moving them. If you’re using a disposable barbecue, ensure it has cooled before putting it in the bin. To avoid starting a fire you should allow it to cool for several hours and then consider pouring water over it to make sure it’s out. BBQs can also emit carbon monoxide fumes—levels high enough to cause CO poisoning for several hours after they go out. Never bring them indoors.
Electrical appliances
Unplug any appliances from the socket. Try and fill in any spaces in your freezer and keep both the fridge and freezer door closed, where possible.
Save your work
To avoid losing any important documents, back up your files and save your work regularly. Check your settings and allow any auto-save features.
Food and drinks
Stock up your cupboards with food and drink that does not require cooking. Never use a portable camping stove or barbeque inside. They produce harmful gases including carbon monoxide. For more information on carbon monoxide click here.
Stair lifts
If your stair lift is powered by the mains, there should be a handle to allow you to continue to the ground floor safely.
Electrical equipment for healthcare
If you depend on electrical equipment for healthcare provisions, check with your healthcare provider, NHS on ‘111’, or the equipment manufacturers to make sure you have measures in place.
Alarm systems and smart doorbells
Most alarm systems and smart doorbells have battery back-ups, but some may be affected. Check before a planned power cut or severe weather, or speak to your manufacturer or installer if you are not sure.
Medication
If you have medication that needs to be stored within the fridge, speak to your healthcare provider or the NHS on ‘111’ for further advice. Keep icepacks on hand ready to store around medication if the power does go out.
Care homes and assisted living
If you run care home or manage assisted living residences it is important that you have made appropriate emergency continuity plans should there be a power cut.
GSOS Payments
GSOS Payments are governed and set by Ofgem, the industry regulator for the Gas and Electricity Industries. Network Operators, such as GTC, are obligated to abide by these standards, and payments to customers are a requirement to recognise the inconvenience, if we fail to deliver on these standards.
Please refer to our Notice of Rights for Electricity and Gas to assess your eligibility prior to submitting your claim.
GTC will not reimburse you for loss of earnings or fridge / freezer contents due to an outage.
Fish and reptiles
Tropical fish and reptiles should not be affected in a power cut for 2-3 hours.
However, think about back up power during severe weather or planned interruptions longer than this.
To keep the tank cool, think about floating a frozen water bottle, increasing filter flow, and adding an air stone (or sponge filter).
How to prepare for a gas outage
Alternative Cooking Facilities
Have a back up supply of alternative cooking facilities that do not rely on mains gas supply. Microwave or BBQ are good alternatives. You must ensure that BBQs are never used indoors.
Hot Water
Your water will be affected during a gas outage if your gas boiler provides your hot water. This can be inconvenient for washing and showers. Whilst boiling the kettle or a saucepan of water could be used to fill a bowl of water this can be extremely dangerous and cause serious burns.
Be sure to have cold water in the bowl first and then add in the hot water to get the correct temperature. You could also make use of the warm weather to store pans of water outside in the sun to be warmed by the heat.
Food Supplies
Ensure that you keep a supply of items that can be cooked without gas, such as microwave or air-fryer items.
Gas Appliances
During the summer months is the best time to prepare for the colder weather to come. Gas engineers may have more capacity to provide appointments during the warmer periods as demand is high in winter with boiler breakdowns.
Why not get prepared and make sure all your gas appliances in good condition before the cold creeps in by getting.
Electrical Safety
Please remember that during a gas outage, the use of electrical items will increase. Try to limit their use where possible. There may be customers affected that rely on the electric for health reasons so protecting the supply is necessary.
CO poisoning
The danger of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is often associated with the winter months, but you can be at risk any time of year, even in the heart of summer. Make sure you know the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning
Visit the Cadent website for more information on the dangers of CO poisoning and learning to recognise the signs.
Make the right call
Are you on the Priority Services Register or know someone who might need extra help?
We recognise that some of our customers may require additional support during an outage and are eligible to be on our Priority Services Register. If you need extra care and support during a gas outage, we recommend you add your details to our Priority Services Register. This does not guarantee your electricity supply will be back on more quickly, but it does mean we can offer you additional help and support.
You can sign up to the Priority Services Register here if you are, or have:
Medically dependent
Dependent on electrical equipment for medical reasons
A chronic or serious illness
Mental health issues
Poor mobility
Sensory impairment
Of pensionable age
Young families
A small act of kindness
Thank you for taking the time to read this. Now why not share with others?
Remember that not everyone is taught how deal with emergency situations or even know what they may be able to do in advance of the hot weather and a small conversation can have a helpful impact. Perhaps a daughter or son has a new home, do you think that they would know the right person to call in a situation? Is there someone alone that might just need a little help?
Here are some useful links for you.
GTC helpful guides