A senior UK Government figure said he'd be "amazed" if people weren't asked to turn down their heating this winter. Sir John Armitt, the UK’s infrastructure tsar, said residents should be asked to try and cut back on their energy use and help avoid possible blackouts.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues to put pressure on supplies and push up prices. Electricity and gas bills are set to spiral in the coming months and the energy price cap could increase by £360 more than previously forecast by the start of 2023, analysts have warned.
According to the Metro experts at Cornwall Insight, one of the country’s premier energy consultancies, said bills could rise from today’s record £1,971 to £3,245 in October and then again to £3,364 at the start of next year. And in an interview with the The Telegraph, Sir John said people should be asked to make changes to their routines - such as avoiding using electrical appliances like cookers and washing machines between the peak times of 6pm and 8pm - in a bid to save money and power reserves.
He said: "People will have to shift their cooking patterns. Do we need to heat our homes at 21C or is it more efficient to have a steady lower temperature? Absolutely the Government could ask people to turn down their thermostats.
"I’d be amazed if the Government didn’t do this at some point this winter." Sir John also warned that some six million households may face blackouts this winter if supply from Russia gets worse.
Other countries have already started asking residents to take action and do their part. In Germany, people have been told to take shorter showers while Japan has requested that its residents switch off lights and air conditioners unless needed.
Australia’s energy minister has also appealed to its citizens not to use electricity between 6pm and 8pm where possible. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy told Metro.co.uk: "The UK has no issues with either gas or electricity supply, and the Government is fully prepared for any scenario, even those that are extreme and very unlikely to occur.
"Thanks to a massive £90 billion investment in renewable energy in the last decade, we have one of the most reliable and diverse energy systems in the world, and unlike Europe, we are not dependent on Russian energy imports."
