UK electricity cuts that could last up to 7 days cause worry amid winters

UK Winters: The plan's worst-case scenario is that all sectors could lose power supply for up to a week.

UK's government is testing plans that will help the country cope with electricity cuts that could last up to seven days, it has been reported. Exercises have been held with government departments and councils across the country in recent days, according to The Guardian.

Britain Power Cuts: A woman with an umbrella and the Elizabeth Tower also known as Big Ben are reflected in a puddle in London. (AP)

The plan- named Programme Yarrow- was made in 2021 to improve planning in the event of a major technical fault on the national grid. The plan's worst-case scenario is that all sectors could lose power supply for up to a week.

In that case, all premises will have power cuts without any warning, with 60% of electricity demand being met between day two and day seven, when houses and businesses would be given "intermittent access", the report said.

If this happens, only analogue FM radios would work while only BBC Radio 2 and 4 could be able to broadcast. Even in the worst-case scenario, the newspaper reported that power would be restored within a week.

The plan will be used in a serious situation like the one outlined by UK's electricity provided last month in which it warned of rolling three-hour blackouts under a worst-case scenario this winter.

“As a responsible government, it is right that we plan for all potential scenarios and work with industry to prepare and exercise robust contingency plans. This work is ongoing continuously and is an important strand of our national resilience planning,” UK government told Sky News.

“Local and national exercises are a part of this ongoing work and ensure we are able to effectively respond to any of a wide range of scenarios, no matter how unlikely they may be,” it further said.