Britons will be encouraged not to use electrical appliances at peak times as part of the government’s plans to decarbonise the energy grid by 2030.
The operator responsible for keeping Britain’s lights on said there needed to be much greater flexibility in energy usage to allow for a system that will run on variable wind and solar power.
“Energy-saving sessions”, in which consumers are paid to use less energy for an hour — for example, by deferring running the dishwasher and other appliances — began in the winter of 2022-23. Many greenhouses, warehouses and other big energy users also have contracts that allow them to enjoy cheaper electricity in return for reducing their demand during peak times.
At present there are about 2 gigawatts of