London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Oct 20, 2025

Public won't be told to cut energy use after No10 objects

Public won't be told to cut energy use after No10 objects

The government has decided not to launch a public information campaign on reducing energy use this winter after the prime minister's office raised objections, the BBC has been told.

A source said there was a "reasonably well-developed plan" to encourage household energy-saving.

But Climate Minister Graham Stuart denied a Times report that a campaign had been blocked by Downing Street.

He said UK energy was secure despite a National Grid warning of blackouts.

Its message about possible power cuts was based on a worst-case scenario of gas shortages if the energy crisis in Europe escalates.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) was considering plans to encourage households to switch off their appliances and heating to conserve energy whenever possible during winter.

However, the BBC was told the department was stopped from taking the plan forward because of objections from the prime minister's office and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).

DHSC sources said they did not believe they had played any specific role in any decision, but indicated there might be broad "concern about the elderly being afraid to turn on their heating".

The Times newspaper reported that Downing Street's intervention came on Thursday when National Grid issued its warning.

The UK is heavily reliant on gas to produce electricity, with gas-fired power stations generating more than 40% of the country's electricity.

In the "unlikely" event that gas supplies ran extremely low, homes and businesses in the UK could face three-hour planned blackouts, National Grid said.

The government says National Grid has drawn up plans to launch a voluntary service to reward users who reduce demand at peak times.

Speaking on BBC Breakfast, Mr Stuart said he was "confident the government has done everything in its power" to make sure energy rationing would not be necessary this winter.

But he added: "We make plans for all scenarios."

During the Conservative leadership campaign, Prime Minister Liz Truss pledged there would be no energy rationing this winter.

On Thursday, when asked if she could guarantee there would be no blackouts, Ms Truss said: "We do have a good supply of energy in the UK."


In a statement, BEIS said: "There are no plans for the government to tell the public to reduce usage for the sake of our energy supplies.

"The UK has a secure and diverse energy system and we are confident that the steps we are taking will protect security of electricity and gas supplies."

When asked to comment, Mr Stuart indicated there had been discussions within BEIS, but confirmed there would not be a government-led effort to get people to reduce usage, saying "it has been decided that there will not be a campaign".

Mr Stuart also denied that a well-developed campaign had been prepared and then blocked by the prime minister's team.


How will the demand flexibility system work?


National Grid wants to be able to reduce British energy demand at peak times if there is going to be a shortage.

This winter, starting in November, it is going to have 12 trial days where it asks customers who have signed up via their energy suppliers to reduce the amount of energy they are using at particular times of day.

They would be given a day's notice that they would be asked to do this.

In return, they would be paid for using less energy. National Grid has not yet decided how this will work but has suggested that for the trial days customers might be able to make back £10 a day.

Expect National Grid to announce more details later this month with customers being able to sign up from 1 November as long as their energy suppliers are participating in the scheme.

The Times newspaper had reported that the prime minister had rejected plans for a £15m public information campaign, which was signed off by Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg.

It suggested Ms Truss was "ideologically opposed" to the campaign amid concerns it would be too interventionist.

In her speech to the Conservative Party conference on Wednesday, the prime minister said her conservatism was about "freedom".

"I'm not going to tell you what to do, or what to think or how to live your life," she said.

Some question whether a campaign is needed at a time when many people are already changing their behaviour and saving energy where they can.

But those with knowledge of a campaign say they don't understand the logic of blocking it. "Slightly mystifying," they say.

In a tweet, Conservative MP Guy Opperman said he would he "fully behind" an energy-saving campaign that would help people and the taxpayer save money.

"This is not Nanny state," he wrote, arguing it was about "preserving supply, saving money for everyone, and encouraging localism".

Stew Horne, head of policy at not-for-profit organisation Energy Saving Trust, said the government needed to consider how to reduce demand this winter to increase energy security.

He said the European Commission had recently announced plans to reduce peak demand by 5% across EU member states. In Italy, central heating use will be reduced and households have been asked to turn down their thermostats to reduce energy demand.

Mr Horne said he "would welcome consideration of similar measures to improve energy security".

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has caused turmoil and volatility in the energy markets, sending fuel bills rocketing, and tightening supplies of oil and gas globally.

Ahead of winter, countries across Europe are scrambling to shore up supplies, as gas flows from Russia are restricted.

Since taking office Ms Truss's government has been seeking to boost energy security, with a ban on fracking for shale gas in England lifted last month, and a new oil and gas exploration licensing round launched on Friday.

This comes after government stepped in with an energy support package to help people with soaring bills.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
Bessent Accuses China of Dragging Down Global Economy Amid New Trade Curbs
U.S. Revokes Visas of Foreign Nationals Who ‘Celebrated’ Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
AI and Cybersecurity at Forefront as GITEX Global 2025 Kicks Off in Dubai
DJI Loses Appeal to Remove Pentagon’s ‘Chinese Military Company’ Label
EU Deploys New Biometric Entry/Exit System: What Non-EU Travelers Must Know
Australian Prime Minister’s Private Number Exposed Through AI Contact Scraper
Ex-Microsoft Engineer Confirms Famous Windows XP Key Was Leaked Corporate License, Not a Hack
China’s lesson for the US: it takes more than chips to win the AI race
Australia Faces Demographic Risk as Fertility Falls to Record Low
×