Will Great Britain Be Better Prepared This Year?

Updates

October 16, 2013: The Brits are in deep trouble -- with regards to energy -- and all those windmills in the Thames Estuary won't be of much help when they freeze up. The BBC is reporting:

Two years ago (2010 - 2011/2011-2012) the UK had a buffer between energy supply and demand of 16%, but this winter that will fall to 5% and it could hit 2% by 2015, according to the National Grid and the energy regulator. 

Original Post

The Express, via IceAgeNow is reporting:

Forecasters last night warned the entire country is set for a horror freeze which will bring brutal winds and fierce blizzards.

‘We are looking at a potentially paralysing winter, the worst for decades, which could at times grind the nation to a halt,” said Jonathan Powell, forecaster for Vantage Weather Services.

‘Persistent cold snaps with some very heavy snowfall are likely, and I would not be surprised if some records are not broken this year.

James Madden, forecaster for Exacta Weather, said it was likely to be the worst winter for more than 100 years.

“A horror winter scenario is likely to bring another big freeze with copious snow for many parts,” said Madden. “This is likely to produce major disruption to public transport and school closures on a prolific scale.”

How serious is it in Great Britain? Back on June 30, 2013, it was noted that, when talking about energy in Great Britain:

Natural gas use dropped off a cliff in 2011, dropping back to levels not seen since 1995. One can argue that the drop in oil use is due more to the "recession" than availability. I'm not going to look for the links now, but it was widely reported that Great Britain came without hours (repeat: hours) of running out of natural gas this past winter.

Everything points to a more severe winter this year in the western world. We can't say we weren't warned.