The government has reached out to supermarket leaders to gauge what effect major power outages might have on the UK’s food supply as fears about the energy crisis grow

Empty shelves veg

The government has asked supermarket leaders about the risk of empty shelves due to blackouts

In recent days, Defra has contacted industry groups asking to be briefed on how a temporary loss of power would affect the food supply chain and lead to availability issues, according to PoliticsHome. 

While a government spokesperson said “this is not something we expect to happen”, it clearly considers this eventuality a theoretical possibility and is looking for advice on which food supply chains could be most vulnerable. 

“The UK has a highly resilient food supply chain, as demonstrated throughout the Covid-19 response, and we engage extensively with stakeholders across the whole food supply chain to ensure we are ready for all eventualities, even the ones we don’t expect to happen,” the government spokesperson added.

“The UK’s secure and diverse energy supplies will ensure households, businesses and industry can be confident they can get the electricity and gas they need.”

Earlier in the week, consultancy Cornwall Insight warned that energy bills for a typical household could hit £4,266 next year.

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