Would we stay civil if power went down in modern Britain?

Iberian outage could serve as lesson in nation's darkest hour

- by David McLean

Watching the lights go out for millions in Spain and Portugal this week should serve as a wake up call for us all.

Sure, the outage lasted barely 24 hours for most. But the societal tremor it has revealed is seismic.

The way I see it, what happened in Iberia is a warning, not a one-off. It could very well happen in the UK - and we would be fools to think it wouldn't.

So, what if it had been us? What if the UK suffered a nationwide power outage, one that lasted several days?

We often think about the UK's energy system in abstract terms, as if it's conjured up by magic.

Few of us think about how it arrives in our homes and powers the world around us, yet our society, from its deepest institutions to sticking the kettle on and doom-scrolling Instagram, runs on leccy.

Make no mistake, a widespread blackout would very quickly tear the fabric of modern Britain.

Within minutes, homes would lose heating and hot water. Not such a problem for us as we head into May, but just imagine such a scenario in the depths of winter.