UK Government May Ask Citizens to Turn Down Thermostats to Avoid Blackout, Reports Say

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The government of the United Kingdom may ask citizens to lower the temperature in their homes and turn off the lights to avoid power outages in the winter, Telegraph reported, citing emergency contingency plans seen by the newspaper.

The plans include calls to consume less energy following similar recommendations by the European Union to cut gas usage by 15% starting next month due to reduced supplies via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline from Russia, the newspaper said. Messages about the need to reduce energy consumption could be regularly broadcast on radio, television, and social media, the newspaper added.

Another possible measure to avoid blackouts could become an agreement with UK energy operator National Grid, under which the company will compensate big consumers for power outages to avoid cutting supply elsewhere, the newspaper said.

Nord Stream pipeline

© Sputnik / Alexey Vitvitsky

National Grid also asked electricity providers to pay citizens to motivate them to switch their use to times of peak supply, such as high wind power, and reduce it at other times. However, two major national suppliers, British Gas and Shell, do not plan to pay households this winter, the newspaper reported.