Britons should be urged to change how and when they use their energy to overcome the crisis and avoid blackouts this winter, an expert has suggested. Households have already been warned that the price cap could rise in January by £360 more than previously predicted. Experts at Cornwall Insight, one of the country’s leading energy consultancies, said bills could rise from the current record £1,971 to £3,245 in October and then again to £3,364 early next year. Sir John Armitt, the UK’s infrastructure czar, said people should be asked to try to reduce their energy use, for example by turning down thermostats and avoiding using appliances such as cookers and washing machines between peak hours 6pm to 8pm. He told The Telegraph: “People will have to change their cooking patterns. Do we need to heat our homes to 21C or is it more efficient to have a consistently lower temperature? “Absolutely the government could ask people to turn down their thermostats. I’d be surprised if the government didn’t do that at some point this winter.” It may be suggested that you cook during off-hours periods between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. (Image: PA) To view this video, please enable JavaScript and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Sir John said Britons should “behave like adults” and be asked to help, warning that around six million households could face power cuts this winter if the supply from Russia worsens. Other European countries have already started asking residents to join the relief effort. Germans have been told to take shorter showers to reduce the amount of hot water gas used for heating. In Japan, households and businesses were told to turn off lights and air conditioners unless needed, while Australia’s energy minister urged residents 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 problems with either gas or electricity supplies and the Government is fully prepared for any scenario, even the extreme ones and very unlikely to happen. “Thanks to a massive £90 billion investment in renewables over 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.” It comes as fraudsters are taking advantage of the current crisis and trying to trick people who are worried about their accounts. Here are some tips on how to avoid getting stuck. Contact our news team by emailing [email protected] For more stories like this, check out our news page.
