Don’t use electricity during the solar eclipse, Octopus Energy warns

Britain’s largest energy supplier is asking households not to use electrical appliances during today’s solar eclipse.

Octopus Energy is urging people not to use plug-in appliances and devices such as dishwashers, games consoles and washing machines between 6pm and 8pm on Wednesday, when the moon will block more than 90 per cent of sunlight.

This will, in turn, lower solar-powered electricity generation just as demand for energy surges as people finish up work and are at home for the evening.

Neso – the National Energy System Operator which runs Britain’s grid – says an equivalent amount of power to running a million homes will be lost out on as a result, up to 1.3 gigawatts.

Octopus Energy is offering its own eligible customers one hour of free energy on 16 August in exchange for altering their usual habits during the eclipse, something they have done previously to encourage changing habits in terms of demand times, not energy use overall.

Kieron Stopforth, head of flexibility at Octopus, said that half a million customers already take part in “demand-shifting” programmes and suggested there was a wider “need to create the right price signals in the market that incentivise more flexible energy use.”

However, he underlined that it remained a voluntary process. “We’re not in a position where we’re going to be forcing customers to do something that they don’t want to do,” he added.

Solar Energy UK recently reported that 14.4 per cent of all power generated in July of this year came from solar – a national record, while on 12 July in particular, 18.8 per cent of energy to the grid was solar, close to the single-day record of 19.5 per cent set in late May. The UK has had an extremely hot and sunny summer, with temperatures set to reach 34-36C on Wednesday and Thursday.

Neso’s data shows all renewables now make up around 40 per cent of the total energy mix for the UK, up around a third in the past five years or so.

Rebecca Dibb-Simkin, chief customer officer, added: “Many of us will be looking up at the sky on Wednesday evening to experience this once-in-a-generation event. But as the Sun disappears, so will some of Britain’s solar generation, just as demand peaks.

“By shifting everyday tasks like the washing machine or dishwasher until later, households can help reduce the need for gas power stations – and earn rewards for doing their bit.”

Octopus has about eight million customers in the UK and is running a prize draw, including free solar panel installation, around the eclipse event.