Britain faces power cuts after No10 failed to prepare for a winter crisis, experts warned last night.
Households may also be paid to not use home appliances at peak times in a bid to avoid 1970s-style blackouts.
PM Liz Truss previously ruled out energy rationing, unlike some EU countries. Labour said the crisis was a “direct consequence” of Tory policies.
Truss was last night accused of being woefully ill-prepared for a looming energy crisis that could plunge Britain into winter darkness.
Households face 70s-style power cuts of three hours a night due to a potential shortage of gas from abroad caused by Russia ’s war with Ukraine.
Families will also be offered money to not run home appliances when demand is highest in a bid to avert a crisis.
Other countries such as Germany put in place emergency measures during the summer to curb energy use but Ms Truss flatly ruled out rationing while campaigning to be PM.
Yesterday the National Grid raised the prospect of blackouts, most likely between 4pm and 7pm, if there is not enough gas to keep the country’s power stations going.
Its Electricity System Operator said: “It would mean some customers could be without power for pre-defined periods during a day, generally this is assumed to be for three-hour blocks.” Shadow Climate Secretary Ed Miliband claimed it was a “direct consequence” of government policy.
He added: “Banning onshore wind, slashing investment in energy efficiency, stalling nuclear and closing gas storage have led to higher bills and reliance on gas imports, leaving us more exposed to the impact of Putin’s use of energy as a geopolitical weapon. Yet still the Conservatives fail to learn the lessons.”
The Lib Dems called on the PM, who was at a conference in Prague yesterday, to hold an emergency Cobra meeting. Leader Ed Davey, said: “A failure to act now could see millions plunged into rolling blackouts.”
GMB union general secretary Gary Smith added: “A borderline negligent approach to energy security has seen us dismantle our gas storage capacity, leaving us desperately short.”
Friends Of The Earth’s head of policy Mike Childs blamed No10’s failures to properly invest in energy efficiency. He said: “This, along with our over-reliance on gas to heat our poorly insulated homes, has left us facing shortages and blackouts.”
Some pubs already use desperate measures to keep energy bills down. The Masons Arms in Camelford, Cornwall, is now lit solely by candlelight on Mondays.
Wholesale energy prices have soared on the back of the Ukraine war, sparking a huge rise in bills and driving inflation to a 40-year high.
With no prospect of peace in sight, and Russia limiting exports, more chaos is expected. One expert warned: “It is unprecedented. Even during the cold war, the Soviets kept the gas flowing so it’s unpredictable.”
ESO warned power cuts could happen if the UK does not import enough energy from abroad. Officials insisted it was an “unlikely scenario”, and there would be 24 hours notice.
The National Grid said it was “cautiously confident” the UK would have enough to meet demand. But it is putting extra measures in place to reduce the risk of blackouts.
They include paying to restart mothballed coal-fired power stations.
Energy UK’s Charles Wood said: “With these measures in place, the system should cope with the considerable challenges it will face.
“But prices will remain high and this underlines the importance of rapidly expanding our own sources of clean domestic power.”
