The lights went out in Havana this week, and with them the elevators, water pumps, and air conditioning units that make high-rise living possible. For residents of the Caribbean’s most vertical city, the rolling blackouts that have gripped Cuba since March have turned tower blocks into traps. Elderly residents unable to descend 20 flights of stairs. Families rationing bottled water. Children studying by candlelight. It is a sobering glimpse of what happens when a national grid fails its people.
Here in Britain, the contrast is stark. While Cuban authorities blame aging infrastructure and fuel shortages, UK energy regulators point to a system that has weathered storms, price spikes, and political turmoil without descending into chaos. The National Grid’s resilience is now being quietly praised as a model for other nations. But for those who remember the winter of 2022, when blackouts were narrowly averted, the gap between Havana and London is less about luck and more about choices.
Cuba’s crisis is not new. Decades of US sanctions, combined with underinvestment and a reliance on imported oil, have left the grid fragile. When a key power plant failed in April, the domino effect was swift: hospitals ran on generators, factories shut down, and daily life became a battle against the dark. The government has rationed electricity to essential services, but for the millions who live in apartment blocks, the impact is visceral. "We are prisoners in our own homes," one resident told Reuters.
In the UK, the energy system is far from perfect. Bills have soared, and the cost of living crisis has left households struggling to pay. But the physical infrastructure has held. National Grid’s balancing mechanism, which uses market signals to manage supply and demand, has prevented widespread blackouts even during the coldest snaps. The system’s 'margin' – the spare capacity above peak demand – has been tight but adequate. And when Russian gas supplies were cut, Britain’s diversified energy mix, including North Sea gas and renewables, provided a buffer.
Why the difference? Investment. The UK has spent billions on upgrading cables, substations, and interconnectors. The Electricity System Operator (ESO) has introduced 'demand flexibility' services that pay households to reduce usage at peak times. These measures, though controversial, have created a grid that can adapt. Cuba, by contrast, has not been able to attract the capital needed to modernise. Its blackouts are a warning: without sustained investment, any grid can fail.
But there are lessons for Britain too. The energy regulator Ofgem has been criticised for allowing profits to be prioritised over resilience. The 'capacity market' – which pays power plants to stand ready – has been accused of being a subsidy for fossil fuels. And as the country decarbonises, the grid will face new pressures: electric vehicles, heat pumps, and intermittent renewables all require a smarter, more flexible system. The Cuban example shows what happens when change is ignored.
For now, however, UK households can take some comfort. The lights are still on. But the experience of Havana should remind us that resilience is not a given. It is a product of policy, investment, and public will. And in an era of climate breakdown, no grid is immune.
