Outages and Emergencies

The Energy Department of the Velocity Interoperability Network schedules the planned outages needed to maintain the Network supply, responds to supply faults from its control room at Central Exchange, and coordinates the response to energy emergencies with the duty officers at each site. The control room has been staffed continuously since 10 August 2026.

Planned outages. The schedule below records every planned outage to 18 October 2026. Outages are scheduled overnight wherever possible and are published at least twenty working days in advance; occupants of an affected site are notified by their member organisation at least ten working days before. The schedule is updated as outages are added or completed.

Sites with two transformers remain supplied through the second transformer during maintenance of the first; only the area named in the schedule loses supply. Where a whole site is affected, standby generation is provided for the site's emergency lighting, communications and any plant the member organisation has designated as essential.

Reporting a supply fault. The steps below apply to any unplanned loss of electricity, gas or heat at a site of the Network.

1. 1

   Step 1: Check whether the outage is planned

   Consult the schedule on this page. Planned outages are published at least twenty working days in advance and occupants are notified by their member organisation at least ten working days before.

2. 2

   Step 2: Tell the duty officer at your site

   Every site has a duty officer who holds the direct line to the Department's supply control room at Central Exchange. Give the building, the time the supply was lost and whether any equipment is at risk.

3. 3

   Step 3: Write to the Department

   Send the site, the building, the time the supply was lost and the name of the duty officer informed to the Department's email address, so that the fault is recorded against the connection.

4. 4

   Step 4: Do not attempt to restore supply

   Do not reset tripped high-voltage switchgear, open substations or interfere with gas or heat plant. The control room will isolate the fault, restore supply by an alternative route where one exists and dispatch a fault team.

5. 5

   Step 5: Receive confirmation

   The Department confirms by email when supply is restored and, for interruptions of more than one hour, the cause and the steps taken to prevent recurrence.

Energy emergencies. The guidance below covers the emergencies the Department plans for. It supplements, and does not replace, the emergency procedures of your site.

Electrical fire or arcing

Raise the site fire alarm, leave the area and tell the duty officer. Do not use water on electrical equipment. The control room isolates the supply to the building on the duty officer's report.

Smell of gas

Do not operate electrical switches, open doors and windows, leave the building and tell the duty officer, who will have the gas supply to the building isolated. Do not re-enter until the Department's inspector has declared the building safe.

Fallen or damaged overhead line

Keep at least ten metres away and keep others away. Treat every line as live. Tell the duty officer, who will have the line isolated before anyone approaches it.

Loss of heat at Southbank Terminal

The heat network is supplied by Southbank Combined Heat and Power Station with the boiler plant as standby. Report a loss of heat to the duty officer; standby boilers are brought on within thirty minutes.

Widespread loss of supply

If supply is lost at more than one site, the control room follows the restoration order agreed with member organisations: Central Exchange, Southbank Terminal, Northgate Relay, Westbrook Distribution Site, Eastfield Campus, Meridian Court and then the smaller sites. Member organisations are kept informed by email throughout.

Unplanned interruptions during the transition period. Five unplanned interruptions were recorded between 10 August and 5 September 2026. Supply availability across the six principal sites over the period was 99.97 per cent.

Interruptions and availability are reported quarterly on the Statistics page. For the connection points named in the schedule, see Connections; for the reporting of dangerous installations, see Installation Safety. Questions about the schedule may be sent to contact@energy.gov.vin.