Power Cut
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Inbox

Original Poster:

1,337 posts

7 months

Tuesday 2nd September 2025
quotequote all
Where I live seems to have suffered something a bit bigger than the average power cut, over 700 homes affected, power was off for 8 hours and there is now a dirty great big lorry mounted diesel generator connected into the sub-station over the road.

The genny has been going for just over 2 days and makes a racket, worse at night as there are several EV's and you hear the noise increase as the chargers start doing their stuff.

The only update we have received is the power has been restored but nothing about how long the generator will be here, I will contact them tomorrow and ask but in the meantime..

Can anyone speculate on how long the generator could be here and what in the grid might have failed?

gazapc

1,382 posts

181 months

Tuesday 2nd September 2025
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Could be anything from a digger putting its bucket through a cable to a transformer going bang.

Does the network operator website not give any details? They normally list each outage/issue.

Alternatively if there are people at the substation working, go and have a chat asking about what is going on (obviously don't enter the substation)

Skyedriver

21,947 posts

303 months

Tuesday 2nd September 2025
quotequote all
You aren't in west coast Scotland.
Power cuts can last hours or sometimes days. And no generator back up.
Years ago on Skye we had a power cut from Tuesday to Saturday. In February. Electric heating and cooking.

Snow and Rocks

3,013 posts

48 months

Wednesday 3rd September 2025
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Skyedriver said:
You aren't in west coast Scotland.
Power cuts can last hours or sometimes days. And no generator back up.
Years ago on Skye we had a power cut from Tuesday to Saturday. In February. Electric heating and cooking.
No better over here in Aberdeenshire. Twice in the last few years it's been off for over a week. I think 10 days was the longest.

Big woodburner that you can cook on, a gas BBQ and an open fire keeps things pretty comfortable though so no major hassle here.

I absolutely wouldn't go full electric in a rural location served by overhead lines - just asking for trouble.

OutInTheShed

12,704 posts

47 months

Wednesday 3rd September 2025
quotequote all
Inbox said:
Where I live seems to have suffered something a bit bigger than the average power cut, over 700 homes affected, power was off for 8 hours and there is now a dirty great big lorry mounted diesel generator connected into the sub-station over the road.

The genny has been going for just over 2 days and makes a racket, worse at night as there are several EV's and you hear the noise increase as the chargers start doing their stuff.

The only update we have received is the power has been restored but nothing about how long the generator will be here, I will contact them tomorrow and ask but in the meantime..

Can anyone speculate on how long the generator could be here and what in the grid might have failed?
We had this when a transformer failed. It was going for about 3 days. That was a small transformer maybe serving a few dozen houses I think.
They had to dig a fair bit to connect in the new transformer.

It could equally be a cable. Underground cables are much more work to fault find and repair.

If there's no sign of work at or near the substation, maybe the fault is in a line feeding the substation, could be miles away, the substation is just the convenient place to connect the generator?

Inbox

Original Poster:

1,337 posts

7 months

Wednesday 3rd September 2025
quotequote all
OutInTheShed said:
Inbox said:
Where I live seems to have suffered something a bit bigger than the average power cut, over 700 homes affected, power was off for 8 hours and there is now a dirty great big lorry mounted diesel generator connected into the sub-station over the road.

The genny has been going for just over 2 days and makes a racket, worse at night as there are several EV's and you hear the noise increase as the chargers start doing their stuff.

The only update we have received is the power has been restored but nothing about how long the generator will be here, I will contact them tomorrow and ask but in the meantime..

Can anyone speculate on how long the generator could be here and what in the grid might have failed?
We had this when a transformer failed. It was going for about 3 days. That was a small transformer maybe serving a few dozen houses I think.
They had to dig a fair bit to connect in the new transformer.

It could equally be a cable. Underground cables are much more work to fault find and repair.

If there's no sign of work at or near the substation, maybe the fault is in a line feeding the substation, could be miles away, the substation is just the convenient place to connect the generator?
Well a tanker turned up this morning to refill the generator but some chaps have turned up this afternoon, generator is off and power seems to be stable after a bit of on/off/on/off etc.

I agree connecting the generator here is an obvious place with ready access to the wires, etc.

Fingers crossed this is all sorted.