Government to ask Britons to ‘turn off lights and turn down thermostats’ over winter energy shortage fears

The government could deliver appeals for people to cut back on energy usage via radio, television, posters and leaflets

(PA)

Britons could be asked by the government to switch off their lights and turn down their thermostats in a bid to avoid blackouts over the winter months, reports suggest.

It comes as nations in the European Union have been asked to slash their gas usage by 15 per cent from August onwards over fears of winter energy shortages after Russia reduced its supplies to the Nord Stream 1 pipeline.

France, Germany and Austria are among several countries urging people to minimise their energy usage by using similar proposals to those now reportedly under consideration by the British government.

Plans seen by The Sunday Telegraph reveal the government could ask the public to cut back on long showers, lighting and heating via radio, television, posters and leaflets.

The document also lays out a potential deal which would see the National Grid pay its industrial users to switch off to avoid power cuts elsewhere.

The National Grid has also asked its electricity suppliers to pay their customers to switch their energy usage to periods of peak supply this winter. But British Gas and Shell told the newspaper that they had no such plans in place as yet.

The Telegraph reports that ministers are “reluctant” to ask households to reduce their energy usage, and hope the sky-high costs will naturally rein in demand.

It comes ahead of the release of the National Grid winter outlook report next week.

As of 1 April, households that are currently on a standard variable tariff saw their bills rise sharply by 54 per cent to as much as £1,971. For around 4 million customers on prepayment meters, there was an increase of £708 from £1,309 to £2,017.

And it could rise again steeply in October with the cap expected the to surge again. According to estimates from Cornwall Insights, annual energy bills could soar to £3,244, rising to £3,363 from January.

The Office for National Statistics said last month that more than nine in 10 people had seen their living costs rise in the previous few weeks, with the number of people cutting back on food rising sharply to 41 per cent from 8 per cent in September.