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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Miles Brignall

Coal power stations fired up and customers paid to cut energy use in UK cold snap

The Drax power plant near Selby in North Yorkshire.
The Drax power plant near Selby in North Yorkshire. Photograph: SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images

Britain’s electricity generators have been forced to warm up coal-fired power stations for the second time this winter and selected households will be paid to cut their electricity use for the first time as the cold snap persists.

With a high-pressure weather system and associated light winds likely to dominate for a few more days, National Grid’s electricity system operator (ESO) said early on Sunday it had asked Drax to start “warming” two of its coal units at its North Yorkshire site and EDF to do the same for one at its West Burton plant in Nottinghamshire to ensure supplies on Monday.

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