British National Grid has announced on Monday that it would pay customers to use less power during this cold season and that it had asked for three coal-powered generators to be warmed up should an emergency occurs in the country.
The group said that it would activate a new scheme called the Demand Flexibility Service where customers get incentives if they agree to use less power during crunch periods.
The service, which has been trialled but not run in a live situation before, would run from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday, it said, adding that the move did not mean electricity supplies were at risk and advised people not to worry.
This shocking measures were announced in order to “ensure that everyone gets the electricity they need,” Craig Dyke, Head of National Control at National Grid ESO, told BBC Radio on Monday, adding that 26 suppliers had signed up for the scheme.
Temperatures up and down the country has recently nose dived to below freezing levels that the Met Office had to issue severe severe warnings for snow and ice. This very cold weather snap would lead to more energy usage needed and could be difficult getting people to use less.
National Grid’s Dyke said consumers could make small changes to make money by reducing their energy usage, such as delaying cooking or putting on the washing machine until after 6 p.m.
National Grid said in December that over a million British households had signed up to the scheme, which is one of its strategies to help prevent power cuts.
The announcement about the coal-powered generators did not mean they would definitely be used, it said in a separate statement.
This was not the first time National Grid had asked for Coal-powered generators to be put on stand-by in case of an emergency in the country. The generators were on standby and ready during the height of the cold season last December but luckily it was not needed on that occasion.
Discover more from London Glossy Post
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
