A contravention between Serbia and Kosovo has resulted in alfileria across Europe run for up to six minutes obtuse . But why ?

The issue stem from the mode digital alfileria connect to the mains keep time , such as the one in your oven or micro-cook . They do this by measuring the oscillations in the understudy current they receive , which is when the electricity kind of alteration steering .

This frequency in Europe is about 50Hz ( meaning the current alternates 50 times a second ) , while in the US it ’s 60Hz . But consort to the European web of Transmission System Operators for Electricity ( ENTSO - E ) , deviations in this frequency since mid - January have result in detain timings . The average frequency since then has been about 49.996 Hz .

“ Some clocks are based on the frequency of the baron system , and thus race late when the frequency decreases , or take to the woods too tight , when the system of rules is in over - frequency , ” theysaid .

“ Such clocks are typically radio- , oven clocks or clocks for programme the heating organisation . These eccentric of galvanising clocks show now a postponement around six minutes . ”

About 25 countries are affect in Europe from Spain to Turkey and Poland to the Netherlands . The UK is n’t one of them as it runs its own grid .

The problem is due to Kosovo using more electricity than it generates . Owing to a border dispute since 2008 , four Serb - legal age districts in the N of Kosovo do n’t pay for electrical energy . Kosovo had been bear for their electricity , but in December it stopped .

The outcome is that there is too much need on the power system and not enough supply . There have been some rumors that cryptocurrency miners in the part have been making employment of the liberal electrical energy and exasperate the problem , but a spokesperson for ENTSO - vitamin E toldThe Vergethe subject was “ absolutely unrelated to cryptocurrency ” .

Last week Kosovo   agreed   to a temporary solution by devote € 1 million ( $ 1.2 million ) for the electricity in the territory . But a longsighted - terminal figure solution is   required . In a few workweek , it ’s hoped the internet will be back to normal , and the clocks should reset to the correct time or they can be manually reset .