Nadhim Zahawi says blackouts this winter are 'extremely unlikely'

Nadhim Zahawi says blackouts this winter are ‘extremely unlikely’ as he defends scrapping £14m public information campaign on saving energy… arguing people can get tips on government website

• Nadhim Zahawi said it is ‘extremely unlikely’ UK will have blackouts this winter
• Cabinet minister defended dropping public information drive on saving energy
• He said people can get tips on government website and from the energy industry

Nadhim Zahawi today insisted blackouts are ‘extremely unlikely’ this winter as he defended scrapping a £14million public information campaign on how to save energy.

The Cabinet minister said it is ‘only right that we plan for every scenario’ amid the standoff with Russia, but stressed the UK has a ‘buffer’ against shortages.

He also played down the ditching of the government’s awareness drive despite backing from Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg. It was expected to give tips such as turning down the temperature of your boiler and taking shorter showers. 

Mr Zahawi said it would have been the ‘wrong thing’ to spend money on, pointing out people could get guidance on gov.uk and the energy industry was planning its own campaign. 

The National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO), which oversees Britain’s electricity grid, has said households and businesses might face planned three-hour outages to ensure that the grid does not collapse.

However, it had said the ‘unlikely’ scenario would only emerge if power plants cannot get enough gas to keep running.

Nadhim Zahawi said it is ‘only right that we plan for every scenario’ amid the standoff with Russia, but stressed the UK has a ‘buffer’ against shortages

Some of the suggestions that had been mooted by the government for saving energy 

Planned blackouts hit the UK during the 1970s in response to the miners’ strikes and the oil crisis.

There have also been major unplanned outages during storms, including in 1987 when more than 1.5million people were left in the dark.

Mr Zahawi told Sophy Ridge On Sunday on Sky News: ‘We’ve got the second largest LNG (liquefied natural gas) processing infrastructure in Europe.

‘Half of our gas we produce here at home, we want to go further – this year we’ve increased our output by 26% on gas. We’ve got interconnectors with our neighbours.

‘Now, what the National Grid is saying is the extremely unlikely scenario where there are issues in Europe with the interconnectors and a very cold snap, so it’s extremely unlikely.

‘But it’s only right that we plan for every scenario.

‘All I would say is we have a buffer, the same buffer as last year, and so I’m confident that come Christmas, come the cold weather, we will continue to be in that resilient place, but it’s only right we have looked at every scenario.’

Mr Zahawi played down the ditching of the government’s awareness drive despite backing from Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg (pictured at Tory conference last week)

On the public information campaign, Mr Zahawi said: ‘What the National Grid is doing with Ofgem is also having a communication programme to tell people how they can do better.

‘We, ourselves, if you go on gov.uk you will be able to see how you can actually help your home or your business conserve energy.’

Pressed about Mr Rees-Mogg’s support for a Government-led campaign, Mr Zahawi replied: ‘The question you ask is about spending £14million on a campaign. That I think is the wrong thing.

‘The National Grid and Ofgem and actually a number of the energy providers are using the direct communication with households to be able to say ‘here are some measures you can take’.’

Mr Zahawi went on: ‘What we’re not doing is spending £14 million on a Government campaign.’

How you could save £488 a year on your energy bill with these eight top tips 

Energy experts at Octopus have provided a series of eight top tips that they say could save households £488 a year – from turning down your boiler flow temperature to avoiding using the tumble drier.

It says the tips helped Octopus customers save more than £5million on their bills last winter. Here, we take a look at what the firm says you could do to cut your bills:

CHANGE BOILER FLOW TEMPERATURE  (£70 SAVING)

Octopus advises that the default boiler flow level which sets the temperature of water when it leaves the unit is normally too high, and can be reduced.

Experts say you should turn down a combi boiler to 50C for heating and 55C for hot water, which could save £70 per year. For a boiler and a hot water cylinder, the boiler flow temperature should be just over 60C for heating and hot water, and 60C for the hot water cylinder.

DON’T USE YOUR TUMBLE DRIER (£60 SAVING)

The Energy Savings Trust advises that air drying your clothes on a washing line or clothes horse could save you £60 a year instead of using a tumble drier.

PLUG DRAUGHTS AROUND DOORS  (£45 SAVING)

You could save £45 a year by avoiding wasting energy by plugging gaps around doors and windows that could cause drafts, Octopus says. You can find draughts using the back of your hand, or with a thermal camera.

CHECK YOUR THERMOSTAT  (£128 SAVING)

Using your thermostat as an on/off switch or boost for energy can cause more gas to be wasted. Octopus advises that you should set it and leave it on when it’s required – leaving it between 18C and 21C. It says turning down the temperature by 1C could save you £128 a year.

INSULATE YOUR HOT WATER TANK  (£35 SAVING)

Experts say an 80mm-thick jacket for your hot water cylinder could save £35 a year. A foam tube can also be used to insulate exposed hot water pipes. 

CUT YOUR SHOWER TIME  (£70 SAVING)

A typical household could save £70 a year by reducing the time spent in the shower to four minutes.

CHANGE TO LED LIGHTBULBS  (£80 SAVING)

Changing to LED lightbulbs when its time to replace bulbs can saved between £5 to £13 per bulb per year, according to the Energy Savings Trust. Experts say another £20 per year can be saved by ensuring you switch off the lights when you leave the room.

PULL YOUR CURTAINS EARLY

Pulling your curtains before it gets dark can also help your home retain more heat with less energy.

TOTAL POTENTIAL ENERGY BILL SAVINGS: £488

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