Newly installed back-up electricity supply put to use for the first time in Craster

A near nine-hour power cut hit the communities of Craster and Dunstan last Wednesday.

However, the hall still had electricity thanks to a Tesla storage battery and solar panels.

Local residents came in for warmth, company, flasks of hot water and some to work using the internet

Bev, a local resident, said: “I couldn’t have completed my training without access to the hall so it’s supporting me as a worker.”

It was a bright day so all of the energy used was provided by the sun. This meant that the battery was fully recharged and had several more days of electricity available.

Craster Community Trust and Craster Parish Council took action after residents were left without power for several days after Storm Arwen struck in late 2021, followed by a second lengthy power cut in January 2022.

Without mobile phone signal or internet, residents, many of whom are elderly, also lacked means of communication.

As Craster Memorial Hall is designated a Warm Hub by Community Action Northumberland, it was proposed that the hall could become a refuge providing light, warmth, communication and company if only it had a reliable back-up electricity supply.

The way forward was to install solar panels and a Tesla storage battery which would not only provide back-up power but make the hall self-sufficient in providing green electricity

A Northern Powergrid Foundation grant funded the bulk of the cost supported by the Community Trust, with generous donations from many holiday accommodation and second-home owners.