Plans for energy blackout called off

WORRIES over Britain's power supply on Monday and Tuesday evenings have been allayed as National Grid decided not to trigger an emergency plan to pay households to reduce electricity use and withdrew a warning of tight margins.

The National Grid Electricity System Operator issued and then rapidly cancelled notice that warned of tight margins between the amount of electricity available and the amount which will be needed on Monday evenings.

It also decided not to trigger the first live run of its Demand Flexibility Service, which pays households to reduce their electricity use and lower the strain on the grid.

The service has been tested twice in recent weeks, and some households earned more than £4 for taking part over the course of an hour.

The first signs that the grid was concerned came yesterday morning at about 10am as it issued an "indication" that it might trigger the DFS for the first time today to help lower the risk of blackouts.