In the UK, electricity consumption has been limited due to cold weather.

The weather in England “ate” the light in houses

Cold weather is prompting British utility National Grid to activate its blackout scheme. The corresponding requirements will affect properties with smart meters. Owners will be offered cash and other incentives in exchange for reducing their electricity consumption between 5:00 pm and 6:30 pm. Officials, however, insist that the public “shouldn’t worry.”

Britain’s national energy company National Grid will pay households to reduce their energy use after activating a new scheme to prevent blackouts during the current cold snap. The company explained that this would only affect properties that have built-in smart meters that feed electricity consumption readings directly to them. The Real Time Flexibility Service (DFS) was activated for the first time this fall and winter. Owners are encouraged to save during certain times and days to receive the payout – Wednesdays from 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm.

A spokesman for National Grid ESO told The Sky News: “Our forecasts show that supplies are expected to be higher than usual on Wednesday evening. They also added that “this does not mean that electricity supplies are at risk and people should not worry,” explaining the new requirements as “precautionary measures to maintain the necessary power reserves.”

Sky News has decided that the National Grid Scheme has been activated partly in response to ongoing cold weather across much of the UK to prevent a complete blackout. Earlier, forecasters warned that snow and ice could hit Britain in places in the coming days.

The scheme itself was first launched in 2022 in the wake of gas shortages in Europe. Currently, more than 1.6 million households and businesses are involved.

It is reported that those who are eligible to participate in the program are not required to turn off all electricity, including lights, during the DFS period. Instead, they are urged to turn off appliances such as washing machines, which can use large amounts of energy. Experts estimate the scheme could save more than 3,300 kilowatt-hours of electricity across 22 starts in 2022, enough to power about 10 million homes for an hour.

It remains unknown what the exact amount of payments will be for those who take part. But cost-saving experts say National Grid pays energy suppliers at least £3 per unit (kilowatt-hour) of electricity saved. Energy suppliers can choose how much of this payment is passed on to users. Around £11 million was paid out in 2022, according to the annual report.

The Sun previously reported on a man who spends £5,000 on electricity for 10,000 light bulbs. Welsh resident Nilan Dane Thomas creates spectacular Christmas decorations. This time he’s increased his exposure but also found clever tricks to keep utility costs under control despite the rising cost of electricity in the UK. Despite the hefty overall price on the invoice, he says the whole thing could have cost a lot more if not for his careful approach to the purchase.

Nilan Dane added: “I’ve been able to save on energy again this year by making sure I only use low wattage LED bulbs which don’t use as much energy. I was always going to turn on the lights and I wasn’t going to stop because of some bills.”

Read also: The UK is beginning to declare a state of emergency due to worsening weather.