Latest news with #powercuts
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Residents' frustration at '1970s-style' power cuts
Northern Powergrid says its engineers have fixed a fault in Northern Lincolnshire, as some residents claim the frequent outages reminded them of 1970s-style power cuts. People living in the Isle of Axholme have told the BBC that the outages, which had been going on since December, often lasted for hours and heavily disrupted their lives. Gary Cawkwell, who lives in the village of Althorpe, described the situation as "ridiculous", adding that it left residents needing to "get the candles out". A Northern Powergrid spokesperson blamed the problem on overgrown trees. "Engineers were mobilised to investigate, repairs have taken place, and we can confirm this is now complete," they added. In April, a foodbank in Haxey said it was "deeply frustrated" after power cuts ruined their stocks of chilled food. People living in the area said their lives had become a nightmare and, at some points in the last month, thousands of people saw their supplies cut off on a daily basis. Maggie Wootten, who has lived in West Butterwick for 34 years, said she had resorted to keeping camping lanterns around her house. She added: "They've been happening regularly since Christmas and often in the middle of the night. The last two months have been the worst. "We're paying a lot of money for something but we're not getting the service. They (Northern Powergrid) say they have fixed it but I'm just waiting for the next cut." Some residents said they had been offered a £30 payment from Northern Powergrid for the inconvenience caused. Christine Kennedy said she had "lost count" of how many power cuts her household had experienced and was sceptical about the cause of the problems. She added: "We've been told birds and vegetation are to blame but that's difficult to believe. Are they really different here compared to anywhere else?" Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. Foodbank throws away supplies because of power cut Northern Powergrid
BBC News
4 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Northern Powergrid fixes Isle of Axholme electrical fault
Northern Powergrid says its engineers have fixed a fault in Northern Lincolnshire, as some residents claim the frequent outages reminded them of 1970s-style power living in the Isle of Axholme have told the BBC that the outages, which had been going on since December, often lasted for hours and heavily disrupted their Cawkwell, who lives in the village of Althorpe, described the situation as "ridiculous", adding that it left residents needing to "get the candles out".A Northern Powergrid spokesperson blamed the problem on overgrown trees. "Engineers were mobilised to investigate, repairs have taken place, and we can confirm this is now complete," they added. In April, a foodbank in Haxey said it was "deeply frustrated" after power cuts ruined their stocks of chilled living in the area said their lives had become a nightmare and, at some points in the last month, thousands of people saw their supplies cut off on a daily Wootten, who has lived in West Butterwick for 34 years, said she had resorted to keeping camping lanterns around her added: "They've been happening regularly since Christmas and often in the middle of the night. The last two months have been the worst."We're paying a lot of money for something but we're not getting the service. They (Northern Powergrid) say they have fixed it but I'm just waiting for the next cut."Some residents said they had been offered a £30 payment from Northern Powergrid for the inconvenience Kennedy said she had "lost count" of how many power cuts her household had experienced and was sceptical about the cause of the added: "We've been told birds and vegetation are to blame but that's difficult to believe. Are they really different here compared to anywhere else?" Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
Reuters
4 days ago
- General
- Reuters
Ukrainian strikes cut power to Russian-held areas, officials say
June 3 (Reuters) - Ukrainian shelling and drone attacks triggered power cuts over swathes of Russian-controlled territory in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions in the south of Ukraine, Russia-installed officials said early on Tuesday. Officials said there was no effect on operations at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station - Europe's largest nuclear facility which was seized by Russia in the weeks after Moscow's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Russian officials running the plant said radiation levels were normal at the facility, which operates in shutdown mode and produces no power at the moment. Russia-installed governors in the two regions said the Ukrainian attacks prompted authorities to introduce emergency measures and switch key sites to reserve power sources. Power was knocked out to all parts of Zaporizhzhia under Russian control, Russia-installed Governor Yevgeny Belitsky wrote on Telegram. "As a result of shelling by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, high-voltage equipment was damaged in the northwestern part of the Zaporizhzhia region," Belitsky wrote. "There is no electricity throughout the region. The Energy Ministry of Zaporizhzhia region has been instructed to develop reserve sources of power. Health care sites have been transferred to reserve power sources." In adjacent Kherson region, farther west, Russia-appointed Governor Vladimir Saldo said debris from fallen drones had damaged two substations, knocking out power to more than 100,000 residents of 150 towns and villages in Russian-held areas. Emergency crews working to restore power quickly, he said. For many long months in the winter, it was Ukrainian towns and villages that endured repeated electricity cuts as Russian attacks focused strikes on generating capacity. Each side has repeatedly accused the other of launching attacks on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant and running the risk of a nuclear accident. The U.N. nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, said last week in response to a Ukrainian complaint that it saw no sign that Russia was preparing to restart the Zaporizhzhia plant and connect it to the Russian grid. The IAEA has stationed monitors permanently at Zaporizhzhia and Ukraine's other nuclear power stations.
Reuters
14-05-2025
- Business
- Reuters
South African rand stable with power cuts in focus
JOHANNESBURG, May 14 (Reuters) - South Africa's rand was flat in early trade on Wednesday, with the return of power cuts in focus. At 0700 GMT the rand traded at 18.29 against the dollar , little changed from the close on Tuesday, when it was knocked by disappointing local jobs data. State utility Eskom announced on Tuesday it would implement power cuts during evening peak hours this week, and Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa is expected to give an update on the power outlook on Wednesday. Power cuts have held back economic growth in Africa's most industrialised economy for more than a decade, but a turnaround in Eskom's plant performance has resulted in far fewer outages over the past year. Also on investors' minds will be a potential meeting between South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and U.S. President Donald Trump. The Business Day newspaper reported, opens new tab that South Africa's agriculture, energy and transport ministers are crafting trade agreements ahead of a meeting planned for next week in Washington. The benchmark 2030 government bond was marginally stronger in early deals, as the yield fell 1.5 basis points to 8.91%.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Yahoo
I visited a bedbug-infested hostel and couldn't stay because of what I found
A central Cardiff hostel has been forced to close after guests complained of frequent power cuts, a lack of running water and reports of bedbugs. Mrs Potts Hostel in St Mary Street described itself as a 'hostel in the heart of Cardiff which is designed for backpackers who want that warm and fuzzy feeling they get at home." But numerous guests complained and left negative reviews with reviews on describing the hostel as the 'most uncomfortable night I have ever spent' and saying it was 'rundown, dirty, and felt unsafe." Last week South Wales Fire and Rescue Service issued a prohibition notice forcing a shutdown of the building due to electricity supply issues. According to its Google listing the business is "permanently closed." READ MORE: There's a tiny Italian village hidden away in Welsh woodland, and it's not what you think READ MORE: You can get helicopter rides around Cardiff and the Welsh coast this summer for less than £50 has removed the hostel from its site pending further investigation and it is currently unavailable for guests to book. Mrs Potts Hostel is a separate business to Mrs Potts Chocolate House, also in St Mary Street. I visited the hostel just days before it closed and after spending a few hours inside found that running water and electricity were not working in most of the building and a box of food was being stored under one of the beds. Never miss a Cardiff story by signing up to our daily newsletter here. Others I spoke to also reported similar issues during recent stays at the hostel, which has not responded to requests for comment. Jordan Malthouse stayed a night at the hostel and said having visited number of hostels before he had never had a worse experience than at Mrs Potts Hostel. 'I knew it wasn't going to be luxury – I'm paying for a hostel – but I've been to all these hostels around the world and it was the worst I've ever been to," he said. The 25-year-old from Newcastle booked to stay on April 18 while on the way to a camping trip and after arriving claims he realised there was no power in most of the building. 'I checked in about 9pm. I went up, tried to plug my phone in, and there was emergency lighting only. At 10pm I went back down to say: 'I can't charge my phone'.' He claims he was able to charge his phone at reception – one of the few areas of the hostel with electricity – but had to use his phone flashlight to get around the building. Alongside electricity issues Jordan also claims there was no running water in the building for part of his stay which further added to his negative experience. 'It was just absolutely horrendous to be honest with you. The bag of rotting food left under my bed was just vile,' he said. Magda Koperska, who stayed at the hostel on April 25, claims issues with running water continued throughout her stay and was one of the reasons she ultimately cut her two-day visit short after just a day. Arriving at the hostel the 41-year-old claims the electricity was not working and that there was no running water in either her bathroom or any of the other bathrooms that she tried using. Upon arriving at 8pm she said she was unable to get inside the hostel as the access code she was given did not work when she entered it into the intercom at the front door. 'Luckily there was another guest leaving the hostel so I managed to get in through the door but the reception area was all dark. As it turned out, there was no electricity and there was nobody in reception," she said. Having hoped to shower before attending an event that evening she said she was later told by the hostel that the water was working. 'Having seen that text that everything should be working I went into the bathroom to shower but there was no water. So this is the middle of the night – 3.30am. I hadn't showered before the event – now I came back after an almost all night of dancing and I couldn't do anything either.' Raising this issue again in the morning she claims the receptionist she spoke to was 'completely uninterested." Magda added: 'I said there is no water and he sort of shrugged it off.' Magda eventually resorted to upgrading her gym membership so she was able to shower elsewhere before eventually deciding to not stay a second night – a choice she said was also driven by a lack of heating inside. 'Even though it was April for some reason it was very cold at night so there was also no heating at all,' she claims. For Magda the overall experience 'felt a bit like I was squatting somewhere' and she claims she saw 'signs of mould and rotten bits on the wall' while there. Having read a number of reviews of reported bedbugs at the hostel which had left some guests covered in bites, she said she has since felt 'paranoid' that she has brought bedbugs home with her. 'I've cleaned my house top to toe several times and I'm scared bedbugs will appear from my luggage,' she said. Both Magda and Jordan stayed at the hostel in April but issues with running water predate that. Isabella Lane, 19, stayed at the hostel for three nights between February 15 and 18 and while she didn't experience any issues with the electricity she claims the hostel had running water for only one and a half days while she was there. 'Before I went back to the hostel each night I would use the facilities wherever I was and then as soon as I woke up I would have to quickly get changed and then go out and find a café and do the same thing," she said. Having chosen the place for its good location she said that based on the images available online the hostel 'looked pretty nice' but had some idea of what to expect once inside based on online reviews. 'There was nothing else available and those that were were proper hotels that were quite expensive," she said. A spokesperson for South Wales fire service said it attended the hostel on April 29 accompanied by environmental health officers. "During the visit it was identified that there was no electricity supply provided to the fire safety equipment within the premises, such as fire alarm, emergency lighting, etc," they added. "A temporary electricity supply in the form of a portable generator had been in use. However, the fire service was informed that the power supply to the building would cease for several hours due to the generator running out of fuel. We were also informed by the environmental officer that the use of the generator would be prohibited by them due to noise pollution affecting the surrounding buildings. As a result of these findings, the fire service served a prohibition notice under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order on the premises." A spokesman for said: "At all of our accommodation partners are responsible for the information and photos that they upload to our platform as part of their listing. 'In the rare instance that we are alerted to any misrepresentations or issues with a property we immediately investigate and in this case we have suspended the property pending further investigation.' WalesOnline approached Mrs Potts Hostel for comment on several occasions and made efforts to speak with the business' director, Dr Issac Mitias, but we have yet to receive a response.
