Britain has downplayed a warning of energy blackouts this winter as the Ukraine war hits gas supplies. UK households face possible three-hour power cuts every day if imports run extremely low, the nation's power operator National Grid warned.
The threat of winter blackouts have been dominating front pages in London.
But the government is counting on public discipline and a shared effort to limit energy consumption.
Prime Minister Liz Truss continues to insist that the UK has "good energy supplies".
She stopped short of guaranteeing that there would be no blackouts.
The Conservative PM has ruled out an official energy-saving campaign to encourage moderation.
"Ministers are not launching a public information campaign and any claim otherwise is untrue," a government spokesman said.
The Times newspaper reported that the government had been readying a winter campaign that was blocked by Downing Street.
Immediately after her appointment as PM last month, Truss unveiled a freeze on surging electricity and gas prices.
A blackout would be more drastic than EU plans for an energy-saving initiative this year to help member nations survive winter without Russian energy.
'We're not a nanny state'
UK climate minister Graham Stuart indicated that the government will not be telling people what to do.
"We're not a nanny-state government," he told a London radio station.
"What we are prepared to do is talk to the big energy users and talk to consumers with smart technology about rewarding them for reducing energy at the peak times."
He said the government was not planning energy rationing.
"It is not our intention to have it, and we're doing everything possible ... that it should not happen."
Britain is in a pretty good position compared to other European neighbours because it is less reliant on Russian gas, the minister insisted.
"We have plans to protect households and businesses in the full range of scenarios this winter, in light of Russia's illegal war in Ukraine."
Gas-fired power plants produce just over 40 percent of Britain's electricity requirements.
