The UK’s leading energy supplier is encouraging the public to ‘power down’ during today’s eclipse.
The rare celestial event, which will see the moon obscure the sun by up to 95%, will take place between 6pm and 8pm, causing the sky to darken for a period of time.
During this point, a large portion of Britain’s solar power will be knocked out – just as millions of people are getting home from work and electricity demand rises.
To try and reduce the strain on the grid, Octopus Energy is urging the public to move everyday jobs outside the busy 6-8pm window – which means avoiding running certain appliances.
Which appliances should I avoid running?
Octopus advised against running washing machines, games consoles and dishwashers during the eclipse – encouraging people to use them earlier or later in the day, where possible.
The following appliances can also use plenty of electricity in the home, so it might be worth turning them off at the plug, too:
- Tumble dryers
- TVs
- Ovens
- Electric showers
English (US)