Britain's blackout risk is rising for the first time since 2022 despite grid chiefs vowing the lights will stay on

From the Newshound archive · first published 23 October 2026.

Neso engineers have raised doubts about their capacity to guarantee sufficient supply over the coming winter months. The operator's modelling flags potential 'tight days', most likely falling in December or January, driven by cold, calm and overcast conditions when heating demand peaks and output from wind and solar generation drops sharply. Britain is leaning harder on imports at a time when the war in Iran has constrained supply.

Neso's Deborah Petterson insists Britain has 'a resilient and well-prepared electricity system'.

National Gas forecasts that UK continental shelf gas production will fall by around 5%.

European gas storage levels entering winter are below the seasonal norm following a period of elevated prices.