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Emergency power cuts are unlikely to happen, but if they do it is important you know:
Your gas boiler, heat pump, broadband and home phone will not work during the power cut.
To prepare you should:
Keep a mobile phone fully charged (if you have one) so you can use it to go online for updates or call if you have a power cut.
More than half of the old copper network has now been switched over, large chunks of what runs on copper only runs on copper from the cabinet so would lose power in a power cut. Recommending to someone to do something that might work, but probably will not is far from ideal and muddies the waters, especially when the easy option is to keep a mobile charged.Gerry1 said:UK Power Networks emailed its Priority Services Register customers about planning for power cuts this winter. It included the following.Emergency power cuts are unlikely to happen, but if they do it is important you know:
Your gas boiler, heat pump, broadband and home phone will not work during the power cut.
To prepare you should:
Keep a mobile phone fully charged (if you have one) so you can use it to go online for updates or call if you have a power cut.
Unless you have been switched to Digital Voice, your traditional copper landline WILL usually remain operational during a power cut. However, cordless phones are unlikely to work because few, if any, have battery backup for their base stations. UK Power Networks should have been aware of this and recommended that customers keep a corded phone plugged in.
Most base stations have battery backups, some have generators, how long the batteries will last is the main question, in some cases only half an hour, although others are designed to last far longer. I really do not see it is down to UKPN to give everyone an idiots guide to the operating procedures of the UK's telecommunications infrastructure.Gerry1 said:They also failed to warn that relying on a mobile phone during a power cut can give a dangerously false sense of security. Many base stations do not have any backup power so they will fail the moment the lights go out, and it may take a while for mobile service to be restored after the power has returned. UK Power Networks should have explained this, and suggested possible workarounds if there seems to be no signal, e.g. moving to the highest floor in the building or going outdoors. They should also have mentioned that in an emergency you should still try to dial 999, even if there seems to be no signal: 999 calls will roam to any available network.
It is a basic email with some perfectly reasonable guidance linked to something that is very unlikely to happen. If people want to protect themselves against full against the risk of power outages then they will do their own research and act accordingly, if people are not that bothered they will make a cursory glance over the email and do little to nothing. Going into granular detail of all specific circumstances are a way to get those who are not interested to turn off even further and it will do nothing for those who want more information, who will seek it out themselves anyway.Gerry1 said:The web version has now been amended to state that 'your cordless home phone will not work without electricity' but still fails to mention that corded phones are likely to work, and there has been no email clarification.The big boys really should do better than this.
MattMattMattUK said:More than half of the old copper network has now been switched over, large chunks of what runs on copper only runs on copper from the cabinet so would lose power in a power cut.
Try telling that to someone you charmingly call an 'idiot' because they lost a loved from a heart attack or stroke but they could have been saved by dialling 999 if only they'd known that a corded phone would have worked.MattMattMattUK said:Recommending to someone to do something that might work, but probably will not is far from ideal and muddies the waters
It certainly isn't for me, my local mobile base station goes off the air the moment the power fails and doesn't resume until at last 15 minutes after the power is restored. Both Three and EE networks get knocked out.MattMattMattUK said:the easy option is to keep a mobile charged.
Or they have just not got around to updating the information yet.Gerry1 said:MattMattMattUK said:More than half of the old copper network has now been switched over, large chunks of what runs on copper only runs on copper from the cabinet so would lose power in a power cut.Ofcom doesn't agree with you. My landline still works during a power cut.
That is a straw man, no one is going to tell mourning family members that they are idiots. New builds have not had copper lines installed for some years now, everyone I know who it has been mentioned by has already been switched over, so a corded phone for them would be useless. Telling them it would work would be a false sense of security.Gerry1 said:Try telling that to someone you charmingly call an 'idiot' because they lost a loved from a heart attack or stroke but they could have been saved by dialling 999 if only they'd known that a corded phone would have worked.MattMattMattUK said:Recommending to someone to do something that might work, but probably will not is far from ideal and muddies the waters
Some do, most do not, but as mentioned by others emergency calls can be routed via any network not just the subscribed network. If one really feels the need then realistically the only almost fail safe way would be a satellite phone, but I suspect many would complain if that was pointed out even in the "further details" section.Gerry1 said:It certainly isn't for me, my local mobile base station goes off the air the moment the power fails and doesn't resume until at last 15 minutes after the power is restored. Both Three and EE networks get knocked out.MattMattMattUK said:the easy option is to keep a mobile charged.
MattMattMattUK said:Or they have just not got around to updating the information yet.Gerry1 said:MattMattMattUK said:More than half of the old copper network has now been switched over, large chunks of what runs on copper only runs on copper from the cabinet so would lose power in a power cut.Ofcom doesn't agree with you. My landline still works during a power cut.New builds have not had copper lines installed for some years now, everyone I know who it has been mentioned by has already been switched over, so a corded phone for them would be useless. Telling them it would work would be a false sense of security.
In my original post I mentioned that 999 calls will roam to any available network, so I don't need to be reminded !MattMattMattUK said:Some do, most do not, but as mentioned by others emergency calls can be routed via any network not just the subscribed network.Gerry1 said:It certainly isn't for me, my local mobile base station goes off the air the moment the power fails and doesn't resume until at last 15 minutes after the power is restored. Both Three and EE networks get knocked out.MattMattMattUK said:the easy option is to keep a mobile charged.
Gerry1 said:MattMattMattUK said:Or they have just not got around to updating the information yet.Gerry1 said:MattMattMattUK said:More than half of the old copper network has now been switched over, large chunks of what runs on copper only runs on copper from the cabinet so would lose power in a power cut.Ofcom doesn't agree with you. My landline still works during a power cut.New builds have not had copper lines installed for some years now, everyone I know who it has been mentioned by has already been switched over, so a corded phone for them would be useless. Telling them it would work would be a false sense of security.Obviously you didn't read the section that says:-Ofcom rules mean providers must take all necessary measures to ensure their customers can call the emergency services during a power cut. So these companies will need to put additional protections in place as they move to new broadband-based call technology.
What use is a SIM card (and the device it's in) when there's NO mobile signal from any network?? Yes, an IoM SIM card or whatever can roam to any network, but when there's no coverage it can't magic up a mobile network out of thin air !Astria said:Gerry1 said:MattMattMattUK said:Or they have just not got around to updating the information yet.Gerry1 said:MattMattMattUK said:More than half of the old copper network has now been switched over, large chunks of what runs on copper only runs on copper from the cabinet so would lose power in a power cut.Ofcom doesn't agree with you. My landline still works during a power cut.New builds have not had copper lines installed for some years now, everyone I know who it has been mentioned by has already been switched over, so a corded phone for them would be useless. Telling them it would work would be a false sense of security.Obviously you didn't read the section that says:-Ofcom rules mean providers must take all necessary measures to ensure their customers can call the emergency services during a power cut. So these companies will need to put additional protections in place as they move to new broadband-based call technology.They already have - you can get a SIM card which works as a backup network in the case of a power cut, but only allows you to call the emergency services unless you pay extra for a full subscription. It even comes with backup battery.If you already have a mobile phone there's no use in such a device, so they typically ask this first.
Gerry1 said:What use is a SIM card (and the device it's in) when there's NO mobile signal from any network?? Yes, an IoM SIM card or whatever can roam to any network, but when there's no coverage it can't magic up a mobile network out of thin air !Astria said:Gerry1 said:MattMattMattUK said:Or they have just not got around to updating the information yet.Gerry1 said:MattMattMattUK said:More than half of the old copper network has now been switched over, large chunks of what runs on copper only runs on copper from the cabinet so would lose power in a power cut.Ofcom doesn't agree with you. My landline still works during a power cut.New builds have not had copper lines installed for some years now, everyone I know who it has been mentioned by has already been switched over, so a corded phone for them would be useless. Telling them it would work would be a false sense of security.Obviously you didn't read the section that says:-Ofcom rules mean providers must take all necessary measures to ensure their customers can call the emergency services during a power cut. So these companies will need to put additional protections in place as they move to new broadband-based call technology.They already have - you can get a SIM card which works as a backup network in the case of a power cut, but only allows you to call the emergency services unless you pay extra for a full subscription. It even comes with backup battery.If you already have a mobile phone there's no use in such a device, so they typically ask this first.
