Selby Businesses Are Losing Thousands to Power Cuts

Selby's ongoing power cut crisis has made national news here in the UK, and for good reason. Businesses across the district have been losing thousands of pounds, throwing away ruined food, and turning away customers as repeated outages batter the local area.

Chris Goodall, General Manager at Selby Golf Club in Yorkshire, estimates losses of more than £5,000 after the mains electricity failed twice during fully booked Sunday lunches. Ian Gutsell, co-owner of Fox Lane Stores in Thorpe Willoughby, now keeps a torch and lantern behind the counter as standard. Asir Cesmecik, who runs the Fox Lane Fryer next door, has simply stopped counting the losses. "If I counted how much I had lost," he said, "I wouldn't open the door."

According to Selby's MP Keir Mather, one village in the surrounding area suffered 12 power cuts in a single 24-hour period. Northern Powergrid has apologised and carried out repair work, but the disruption has already left its mark.

At GFE Power Products, we know that waiting for the grid to be fixed is not a business strategy. A standby diesel generator means that whatever happens outside, your operation keeps running inside.

The Reality of Power Cuts for Selby Businesses

The stories coming out of Selby are a stark illustration of what unplanned power cuts actually cost:

Selby Golf Club lost over £5,000 across two Sunday lunch services, including food waste, lost bar revenue, staff wages, and serious reputational damage with first-time visitors
Fox Lane Stores was forced to shut every time the power went out, with no tills, no card machines, and no way to trade safely
Fox Lane Fryer has had to bin entire batches of food after outages hit mid-service, losses running into the thousands

These are not unusual cases. They are what happens to any business that relies entirely on mains electricity and has no backup in place.

Why a Standby Generator Changes Everything

A properly installed standby generator does not just keep the lights on. It means:

Refrigeration keeps running — no more throwing away stock
Card machines and tills stay live — no lost sales
Kitchens keep cooking — no cancelled services or turned-away customers
Staff can work safely — no shutdowns, no lost wages paid for nothing
Your reputation stays intact — customers experience no disruption at all

For businesses like the Golf Club, a generator would have paid for itself many times over across just two incidents.

How GFE Power Products Can Help Your Home or Business

GFE Power Products supplies diesel generators to homes and businesses across the UK, backed by a nationwide dealer network that handles everything from initial assessment to installation, commissioning, and long-term servicing.

Whether you run a restaurant, a retail unit, a care facility, or a farm, we have a generator suited to your needs, and a local dealer who can have it installed and ready before the next outage hits.

A Generator Range for Every Application

We supply a comprehensive range of diesel generators powered by Cummins, Perkins, and Baudouin engines, covering outputs from 20kVA right up to 2,200kVA+:

Single Phase Generators — perfect for domestic properties and small workshops
20kVA to 100kVA — ideal for shops, fish and chip shops, small restaurants, pubs, and larger domestic properties
100kVA to 500kVA — suited to golf clubs, hotels, care homes, manufacturing units, and larger commercial premises
500kVA to 1000kVA+ — for industrial operations, hospitals, and critical infrastructure

Every unit is built to start automatically when the mains fails, so your customers may never even notice the grid has gone down.

Nationwide Coverage, Local Dealer Expertise

Our UK-wide dealer network is built around one principle: the right generator, installed correctly, supported properly.

Every GFE Power Products dealer is trained to assess your site, recommend the most appropriate solution, and commission your generator to the highest standard. They are not just suppliers, they are local experts who understand what businesses in your area actually need.

No matter where you are in the UK, a GFE Power Products dealer can:

Assess your power requirements and recommend the right generator for your site
Deliver and install your generator quickly, safely, and in line with all relevant regulations
Commission and test the system to ensure it fires up reliably when needed
Provide operator training so your team knows exactly what to do
Offer servicing contracts to keep your generator in peak condition year-round

Ongoing Support for the Long Term

A generator is only as reliable as the maintenance behind it. Through our dealer network,

GFE Power Products provides:

Scheduled preventative maintenance to prevent breakdowns and extend working life
Rapid response servicing for emergencies, minimising downtime
Genuine parts supply to protect reliability and your manufacturer warranty
Tailored service agreements built around your specific operation

By choosing GFE Power Products, you are not just buying a machine. You are putting a dedicated support team in your corner, for the long term.

Do Not Wait for the Next Outage

As Selby's MP said in his open letter to Northern Powergrid, he is determined to keep the company's "feet to the fire." Progress is being made but the outages have already proven that the grid alone cannot be relied upon.

Chris Goodall put it plainly: "Sometimes, with the intermittent power, it feels like we're living in the Victorian era."

No business should have to operate like that. With a GFE Power Products standby generator installed by a trusted local dealer, yours will not have to.

Ready to protect your business? Find your nearest GFE Power Products dealer by contacting our team and discuss your requirements today.

GFE Power Products supplies diesel generators across the UK, with a nationwide dealer network offering sales, installation, and servicing. Our range covers 20kVA to 2,200kVA+, powered by Cummins, Perkins, and Baudouin engines.

Source: Power cuts costing Selby businesses thousands — BBC News, 29 January 2026

Phone: +44 (0)1386 335007
Email: sales@gfepowerproducts.com