The National Grid has said there might be a controlled and temporary schedule of power outages during the winter months.
This is due to a national supply/demand issue caused by reduced European electricity imports and insufficient gas supply in Great Britain.
Power outages are unlikely, but just in case, the University is planning for the possibility of scheduled three-hour cuts across central Oxford from December 2022 to February 2023.
There's no cause for alarm if you are an IT Learning Centre service user. We've written this page to explain how we're avoiding disruption and what to do if any outages are scheduled.
What does this mean for my course booking?
We've taken steps to reduce the likelihood that your booking will be affected. For example, where possible, we've scheduled courses to avoid times when the demand on the national grid is highest (4 pm-7 pm).
We will be offering our regular programme of online and in-person courses. There is a small but increased chance your course might not run. If your course cannot run due to a power outage, we will give you as much notice as possible* and refund you. Please let us know if you cannot attend a course due to a power outage.
What does this mean for my room hire?
You can still make room bookings with us during winter. We'll explain the situation when you enquire and discuss whether other dates would suit you.
If a power outage is scheduled, the University has decided to close its buildings. This means there is a small but increased chance we might need to cancel your room booking or your room booking may be disrupted, e.g., it needs to finish at a different time.
We will give you as much notice as reasonably possible* and refund you for the room hire only. We are not liable for any loss or damage arising from the cancellation, e.g., for travel (organisers or delegates), any catering you may have booked or delegate fees. We are not responsible for finding an alternative venue.
How will this affect the availability of your systems?
Our most used systems are CoSy (Accessplanit), LinkedIn Learning and Power BI (Self-service Training Data).
We expect the infrastructure for these three services to remain available in the event of a power cut. However, customer support provided directly by these companies (e.g. the Accessplanit Support Desk) is beyond our control, so you should consider them at risk during any power cuts.
*Please note: we are reliant on advance notice from the National Grid and the University.
