REPORTS are that this winter we might run short of gas and could end up with electrical power cuts.

I, like most people, have gas central heating and if the electric goes off then the electric to the boiler will also go off, so the central heating will also go off.

I also have a gas fire and again this also needs electric to work.

What is the answer?

I suppose if it is very cold and we get a warning that there will be a power cut, then in the hour before we will turn the heating up on full to warm the house, boil the kettle and cook some warm food ready for the power cut.

If the power cut is to save gas, then are we defeating the object of the power cut by using more gas then we would normally?

Michael Albin, via email