The National Grid's Electricity System Operators (ESO) was forced to consider activating its new "Demand Flexibility Service" (DFS) for the first time today.
At 2.30pm today - November, 28 - ESO questioned whether or not to implement the scheme on Tuesday evening. The service, launched at the start of the month, is set up to pay households and businesses to reduce the amount of electricity they use during certain periods of the day in a bid to avoid winter blackouts across the country. However, the National Grid has decided not to run the scheme, despite concerns over supplies.
It comes after concerns were raised over Britain's energy supply on Monday and Tuesday evenings, with the National Grid Electricity System Operator issued two separate indicators that things could be tight. Glasgow Live previously reported on the notice issued by the operator last week, before the notice was rapidly cancelled. The notice warned that the amount of electricity available would struggle to meet demands on Monday evening.
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Another so-called Capacity Market Notice was issued at 1.33pm today stating that the difference between the amount of electricity available and the amount households and businesses will use would be tight at 6pm on Monday.
Low temperatures and outages on France's nuclear power fleet are set to put pressure on power supplies, according to market experts Enappsys.
What is the "Demand Flexibility Service"?
If and when activated, the scheme will see households paid to cut power demand by, for example, stopping running the washing machine or dishwasher until the supply crunch has eased.
Households will need to have signed up to the programme in advance, with those already signed up receiving a message to prompt them to turn appliances off in exchange for £3 per kilowatt-hour saved. If the £3 is fully passed on by the suppliers to customers, that implies payments of up to £20 for each day when requested by National Grid.
Why has the "Demand Flexibility Service" been activated?
To avoid blackouts, power supply and demand has to be constantly balanced. And this has been difficult in recent times, with National Grid developing the scheme over the last few months in a bid to counter concerns over the winter energy supplies. The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has triggered energy supply issued do to gas shortages.
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