People are being urged to brace themselves for potential power cuts this winter, with concerned Norfolk council bosses issuing advice for people to stock on supplies.

A warning to be prepared was issued by Norfolk County Council after parts of the country lost power for up to a week during Storm Arwen last winter.

A spokesman for Norfolk County Council spokesperson: "We hope Norfolk isn’t hit by major storms and power cuts this winter, but we cannot be complacent.

"Storm Arwen led to thousands of people in northern England being cut off from the power network for several days.

"That’s why we are advising people to consider taking prudent precautions, just in case something similar happens here."

The council's advice, published on the authority's website, includes:

  • Have a stock of non-perishable, easily prepared food that does not need to be cooked
  • Have some bottled water in the house
  • Have enough warm clothes – lots of thinner layers are best - and bedding
  • Have LED torches or LED camping lanterns and spare batteries in a place you can easily get to. The council said those are safer than candles
  • Have an old-fashioned landline phone and, if they have them, a list of landline numbers for family and friends, as mobile networks soon fail in a power outage

If there is a power cut, council bosses said people can check the UK Power Networks website for information and updates, but if the internet is down then people can dial 105 for update.

Council officers said people should listen to the radio on a battery or car radio for updates and should look after frail relatives and neighbours.

And they said people should never bring barbecues indoors, not use gas cookers for heating and to open a window if they use a gas camping stove to cook, which they should never leave unattended.

In October, the National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO) raised the prospect of the "unlikely scenario" where potential blackouts could be imposed to ease pressure on the electricity grid.

Eastern Daily Press: Oliver DowdenOliver Dowden (Image: Press Association)

However, government minister Oliver Dowden last month said people can have "confidence" there will not be blackouts this winter, save for "some very, very major external shock that would affect the supply of power into this country".