Blackouts cannot be ruled out for the coming winter

National Grid has revealed its worst-case scenario plan to keep the lights on this winter.

The UK faces blackouts for us to three hours a day if it is unable to import enough energy, as National Grid warned that businesses and households could be cut off for periods of time if electricity supplies run short. Electricity would be turned off in some areas to ensure power does not go down more widely.

This comes as cuts to Russian supplies of gas to Europe amid its war on Ukraine have wreaked havoc on gas and electricity markets – and supplies of electricity from France are also strained due to outages on its nuclear fleet.

Restauranteurs, writing in the Morning Adveriser warn that if the three hours comes at a critical time, such as lunch or dinner, it could have a devastating effect on the hospitality industry.