Morning:
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Thousands of Londoners face third day without any electricity
Peter Dominiczak22 Jul 2009
Alice Howarth and Sophie Penfold in their Bexleyheath home
Ten of thousands of homes are without electricity for a third day after vandals caused the capital's biggest blackout for years.
At least 55,000 people in the area still have no electricity and face another day of discomfort as engineers battle to fix four damaged lines.
Police said vandals started the fire on a cable bridge in Dartford on Monday and may have been trying to steal expensive equipment.
French-owned power company EDF said it had restored electricity supplies to about 31,000 people and temporary supplies to more customers through rota connections in Crayford, Erith and
Bexleyheath.
They have power for three hours before the supply is switched to another area. Generators have also been deployed to vulnerable people and the Red Cross has visited residents to give advice.
A spokesman for EDF Energy Networks said: “Because of the complexity of the repairs, it is hard to be completely accurate but we hope power will be restored to remaining customers,
not already back on supply either permanently or temporarily, during the course of tomorrow evening.”
Extra call centre staff have also been drafted in to provide information. It is London's biggest power cut since August 2003, when 500,000 people lost their electricity.
As traffic chaos continued yesterday authorities suspended the toll for the Dartford Crossing. The Highways Agency decided to lift the barriers on the crossing this morning to keep traffic flowing smoothly.
Kent Police said it had launched an investigation into the cause of the fire but it is unclear whether it was criminal damage or attempted theft of cables.
Chief Inspector Peter Ayling added: “Extensive fire damage has been caused to a cable tower which has impacted heavily on local businesses
and residents.”
Hundreds of shops in the area remain closed.
Reader views (25)
we was without power for 56 hours yes idiots were involved but did anyone see london tonight on the 22 some pomped up edf fella stood on t.v. and admitted the security was "NOT GOOD ENOUGH" one padlock on there...hahahaha £50 for a oners worth of food plus the money we had to pay extra for gas just to have a bath one and a half hours boiling water for 2 inches of water for three people to bath in
- Rob, dartford, 29/07/2009 22:07
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I lost power for around 21 hours on Monday - & then had the 3-hour on, 6-hour off rota until Thursday when full power was restored.
Obviously fault lies with the idiots who damaged the cables - however fault also DOES lie very heavily with EDF, as surely the cables should be protected securely enough for this situation not to have been possible ???
There are rumours floating about now that EDF won't give out compensation to anyone, as there is a "vandalism" clause somewhere in their agreements which waives their responsibility.....
If this is the case, I feel EDF may loose business rapidy, surely they have a moral obligation if nothing else for the chaos this has caused to so many in the past week ??
- Ali, Bexleyheath, Kent, 26/07/2009 10:56
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First of all, these vandals should get the FULL blame for the power cuts! I mean, EDF have a duty to fix up the power cables but it is not their fault that the 'waste of space' people who have nothing better to do with their lives have caused this disturbance! Ok, I know this has caused some annoyance like freezer food going bad, not being able to watch TV or whatever, it was an inconvenience, yes, but come on people at least be grateful that we have it back you know? EDF tried their best and the world didn’t end! (I mean, on the other hand, they could’ve let us, their customers know what was going on too).
I also think Gordon Brown or whoever is meant to be 'in charge' should take the blame too. The people who have nothing better to do should be punished, but watch... even if they see things like this happening, nothing will change! This country's government needs to grow some balls and prosecute these losers!
- Calm, Erith, 23/07/2009 12:30
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Only found this story by chance, because it has been kept out of national news. Wonder if this outage attack was low grade 'terrorism'? Perhaps a sort of exercise by special forces from one of Nu Labur's enemies?
- Tim C, Southern England, 23/07/2009 09:35
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Thankfully we now seem to have our electricity back (Thursday)although my son who lives very near the incident hasn't had any power at all since it went off Monday lunchtime.
I think the most frustrating part was when we managed to get through to EDF (bearing in mind we had no phones,no computers and mobile signals were mainly 'emergency calls only'),the info they gave out was rubbish.
They said that we would be on a rota of 3hours on 6 hours off.
Tuesday we had power for 1 and half hours, during the afternoon when most people were at work and on Wednesday it was 2 hours,yes you've guessed it, during the day when most people were at work!!
No showers, clean clothes or hot food for the workers!
When a neighbour querried this short time with EDF she was told it was probably because 'people were being greedy with the electricity'
My husband was told by EDF that the vandals, having got through 2 security gates had 'cut the electicity cable'. I'm no electrician but wouldn't the police have found the vandals cremated remains if the idiots had cut the cable??
We are forever getting reps from power companys knocking at our door (usually as we are just about to sit down to dinner),trying to get us to change provider.Why didn't EDF use a similar system to get notices with realistic info out to the effected communities?
- Irene, Erith, 23/07/2009 07:37
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Me and my family have managed well during the cuts, but what about the elderly and vulnerable throughout the areas affected- these are the people we should be looking after- all of you out there- keep an eye on your neighbours, many of us do not know the people next door and this is a time when we need to do just that..... knock on your neighbours' door just to make sure they are ok....
- Lesley, welling, kent, 22/07/2009 23:56
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ANYONE LIVING IN AND AROUND PRIORY ROAD NORTH IN DARTFORD..A GENERATOR HAS BEEN PUT IN PLACE AND ALL IS UP AND RUNNING. APPARENTLY GENERATORS ARE BEING PUT IN AND AROUND WHOLE OF DARTFORD, THESE WILL REMAIN ON TILL THE MAIN PROBLEM IS FIXED SO I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY AN EDF GUY ON SITE.
ALSO HEARD THOUGH NOT CONFIRMED THAT THE MAIN PROBLEM MAY OR MAY NOT BE 100 PER CENT FINISHED TILL SUNDAY.
I ASKED EDF WHAT ACTUALLY CAUSED THIS TO HAPPEN AS THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY RUMOURS....HE COULD NOT SAY.
- Alan, dartford, 22/07/2009 21:47
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I think it's a total disgrace that we have no power since Monday! Shouldn't there be some sort of back up system to stop this happening! I feel sorry for the eldery folk and families with young children. I have lost the contents of a chest/freezer and have been told I must pay £50 excess on the insurance - why should I? This isn't my fault, but the mindless vandals who have caused this chaos!
- Susan, Kent, kent, 22/07/2009 16:05
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G Diamond how correct you are, yet another example of a industry once owned by all of us,flogged on the cheap by Thatcher,making huge profits for the few,and failing to deliver for the many.
- Colin, Bristol, 22/07/2009 16:02
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I THINK WE SHOULD ALL JUST BE GRATEFUL THAT POWER WILL BE RESTORED EVENTUALLY AND REMEMBER THE LAST FEW DAYS NEXT TIME WE FEEL THE NEED TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE WEATHER/THE PRICE OF BUSES/MILK/BREAD/ETC.
SOME PEOPLE LIVE IN FAR WORSE SITUATIONS THAT HAVING NE ELECTRIC.
WE COPED DIDNT WE!!
- Lisa, ERITH KENT, 22/07/2009 15:56
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The bottom line is that EDF are a rubbish French Company who don't care for UK customers. In Kingston over the last 3 years there have been several power cuts lasting upto 2 days and their customer services always come up with the same excuses including vandalism which I note is also being cited here.But an insider told me that real reasons are due to a lack of adequate investment and upgrading at sub stations. Unfortunately they can hold London to ransom because they took over the generally reliable London Electricity some years ago and are responsible for the supply line even though you may purchase your power from someone else. Interestingly this situation never prevails in France where they are subject to punitive fines for any interruption of power.
- Ashwin Sen-Sharma, kingston,surrey, 22/07/2009 15:34
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I've been keeping up with the news from work. Hopefully going forward EDF will put adequate security measures in place to prevent unauthorised access to such crucial equipment.
I think all the engineers who have been working round the clock to restore power deserve to be thanked and appreciated - the power cut is not their fault and they are working hard to resolve the problem.
Thank goodness all crucial buildings like hospitals have power restored.
I'm leaving work early today so I can get home during the 3 hour period when the electricity will be switched back on.
So grateful to still have running water - imagine if the water had also been off - now that really would have been unbearable.
I agree with comments made about just how reliant we are on electricity but you know this power cut has been a minor inconvenience because at least we know that the power will be restored. Imagine if we lived in a country where power cuts were the norm? Thank God we don't but spare a thought or two for those that do.
- Christine, Welling, Kent, 22/07/2009 14:38
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Dwindling oil supplies, open borders, French electricity companies, the private sector, the mayor, the government. Now what about the south London gutter scum vandals who actually CAUSED this damage? Let's not be too harsh, right?
- Robert, London UK, 22/07/2009 14:12
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I wander if the high rollers in the offices at EDF Bexleyheath will let me and others bring in our bbq's....as i wont be able to see what im cooking and eating this evening !
Yes,lets sit down and chew the fat and you can tell me what you are going to do to reccompence over 60,000 households and businesses...ill bring the burgers and buns if you provide the sauce !
- Alan, Dartford,UK, 22/07/2009 14:08
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paul,london
If the supply company EDF had proper and adequate security facilities in the first place as should be the norm then we would not be in this position !
- Alan, Dartford,UK, 22/07/2009 14:00
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That's what you get with Thatchers privitisation.It would have been delt with by now in the LEB days.As time goes by it will get worse because the maintenance and cabling network updates is not being carried out.(ex London Electricity Board employee)
- G.Diamond, Romford Essex, 22/07/2009 13:44
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The lights were on at the EDF offices in Bexleyheath last night when the rest of the area was blacked out. The cuts have been caused by vandals they say but they would wouldn't they - nothing, of course, to do with inadequate maintenance and the maximising of profits. The power came on at 3.00am today, went off at 9.00am and on again just after noon but who knows for how long. Being without power has impelled those living in this area back a hundred and fifty years. It's been salutory to realise just how reliant we've all become on electronic gadgetry: TVs, radios, HiFi, PCs, cookers, lighting, traffic lights, street lamps, showers and so forth. My local supermaket is closed and the filling station too as, I assume, there is no power for freezers, pumps and tills. Still EDF say it'll all be fixed by tomorrow - where have I heard that before? But this may be a common experience in the future as energy shortages accelerate as oil suplies windle and the population increase inexorably becuase of our open borders.
- Richard Kennard, Welling, 22/07/2009 13:31
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When coming through Welling/Bexleyheath on Monday night on my home from work, every were was in darkness apart from the "EDF" Building lit up like a Christmas tree, Also I have heard that we will not be able to clam any Freezer Food through the insurance company as this was due to "Vandalism" if this is true I think that "EDF" should give a refund to all the customers,
- David, Bexleyheath - Kent, 22/07/2009 13:30
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I am surprised your redaers haven't tried blaming Gordon |brown for this power cut
- Keith Price, Luton, England, 22/07/2009 13:28
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Instead of taking it out of the supply folk why don't you vent your anger on the folks who caused this needless damage.We seem in out society to condone such acts and vent out spleen on companies trying hard to sort it out.
- Paul, london, 22/07/2009 12:56
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According to the news on the radio just now the problem should be fixed by this evening !!!! dont hold your breath !!!!
Cant help but agree with kurtrussell's comments re the Mayors office etc.
A rule for some and a rule for others !
- Alan, Dartford,UK, 22/07/2009 12:24
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If the power loss had effected the Mayors office or the eurostar or a tv studio like the floods earlier in the year that wiped the power near London bridge this would have been fixed in the first 12hrs.
- Kurtrussell, Crayford, 22/07/2009 11:43
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Where is the government?! Should they not be penalising these private utility companies?
- Georgie, Islington, London, 22/07/2009 11:13
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In reponse to comments on other sites, I'd like to clarify that I'm not suggesting anyone "storm the building" but I think people's displeasure and concerns should be voiced directly to EDF. Again, if we lived in – I don't know – Fulham (REAL London), would more effort be made to restore power?
The alternative is we just pretend everything is fine and, hey, if it happens again – that's okay too.
- Chris, Crayford, Kent, 22/07/2009 09:59
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We should arrange a protest/demonstration outside EDFs offices in the Broadway – I cannot believe this level of disruption would happen anywhere else in London/Kent (whatever)...
- Chris, Crayford, Kent, 22/07/2009 09:08
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