Businesses' fears over regular power cuts

Repeated power cuts affecting a district of North Yorkshire have cost thousands of pounds in lost business and ruined food, traders have said.

Chris Goodall, general manager at Selby Golf Club, said the mains electricity supply in the area had failed on several occasions recently, including twice as dozens of diners waited for Sunday lunch, at an estimated cost to the venue of "more than £5,000".

Mr Goodall said: "It's so frustrating. We're working hard to build the business and our reputation in the area."

Louise Lowes, from Northern Powergrid, said the firm had taken "sustained action" to improve reliability, and the network was "now operating normally with no outstanding permanent faults".

The power cuts in recent months were down to a combination of network faults and environmental factors, Lowes explained.

Keir Mather, Selby's Labour MP, said: "I'm pleased to see Northern Powergrid's response so far, but there's always more to do."

Goodall said one of the Sunday power cuts had happened just half an hour before the first meals were due to be served at the golf club, meaning some diners turned up unaware of the problem.

It was the first time visiting the club for some guests, while for others, it was a rare treat for which they had saved and which they were looking forward to, he said.

"It doesn't set a good look for the club, that we were unable to fulfill the reservations," he said.

"We think with the full bookings we had, the bar and catering, the losses are more than £5,000.

"The catering is run through a franchise, so they lost the food and also had staff to pay on top."

Goodall said the power cuts had proved "incredibly damaging and will take a long time to put right".

He said he had contacted electricity distributor Northern Powergrid to ask what the firm was doing to tackle the problem, but was unhappy with the response.

"The replies we get are generic. It's really concerning," he said.

"We're talking about people's livelihoods here. Sometimes, with the intermittent power, it feels like we're living in the Victorian era."

Goodall praised the "welcome" support affected businesses had received from the Selby MP and his team, adding: "We hope they can get the answers we need."

Meanwhile, in Thorpe Willoughby, about three miles from the golf club, one of the villages hardest hit by the power cuts, shop owner Ian Gutsell said he now kept a torch and lantern behind the counter, ready for the next time the power went off.

Gutsell, co-owner of Fox Lane Stores, explained that safety concerns meant when the power went off, he was forced to shut the shop.

The amount of trade lost due to power cuts was estimated to be "in the hundreds", he said.

"Power cuts have been the bane of our life. If we have no power, we have no tills, no switch machines," Gutsell said.

"We've not had one for a week, but we've had six in the last few months. It's a watching brief to see if Northern Powergrid are on top of it."

Next door to Gutsell's shop, Asir Cesmecik, the owner of the Fox Lane Fryer, said while business was "ticking over", he had stopped counting how many power cuts there had been.

Cesmecik, who has run the fish and chip shop for three years, said the power cuts had happened "almost every month, twice a month, more, depending on the weather conditions".

"It is very frustrating. We work hard, open the shop, and if the power goes off everything has to go in the bin," he said.

"The losses are into thousands, but if I counted how much I had lost I wouldn't open the door. I would feel like there was no point."

Selby MP Mather said that late last year he had sent an open letter to Northern Powergrid's chief executive Phil Jones, saying he was "outraged" by the ongoing power cuts.

The areas worst affected were some of the villages surrounding Selby, one of which, on one day last month, suffered 12 power cuts in 24 hours, according to Mather.

"It's my responsibility to keep Northern Powergrid's feet to the fire and do the best for local residents," he said.

"Next month, we're getting representatives from lots of parish councils in a meeting with Northern Powergrid to discuss how damaging these power cuts are - and the best ways to fix them."

Lowes, from Northern Powergrid, apologised on behalf of the company for the disruption to its customers in Selby, adding that she understood the frustration caused.

The power cuts during 2025 were down to a combination of network faults and environmental factors, she said.

Work had been carried out, including "repairing overhead equipment, completing major vegetation work and permanently repairing the underground cable", Lowes said.

"The network is now operating normally, with no outstanding permanent faults, and additional reliability work is planned for February and March."

Lowes said Northern Powergrid followed Ofgem's "guaranteed standards" on compensation, ensuring payments were made where customers were eligible.

"With the network stable and further improvement work scheduled, we will continue to monitor performance closely and look forward to meeting Mr Mather again in February 2026," she said.

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