The UK’s biggest household energy supplier has warned that solar power will ‘plummet’
The partial solar eclipse will take place tomorrow(Image: solarseven/Getty)
An energy company has issued a warning to customers ahead of Wednesday’s solar eclipse, saying that solar power will ‘plummet’ during the celestial event. Octopus Energy, the UK’s biggest household energy supplier, is urging customers to use less electricity, as the UK witnesses its largest solar eclipse in 30 years.
More than 90% of the sun will be obscured by the moon between 6.17pm and 8.06pm on Wednesday, the most it has been blocked above UK skies since the total eclipse in 1999. On Tuesday, Octopus Energy emailed customers urging them to “switch off, head outside and be in nature”, and cut down on electricity consumption between 6pm and 8pm on Wednesday.
In the email, the company said: “While the moon is blocking the sun, solar generation will plummet at the same time as home energy demand spikes. By powering down together in saving sessions like this one, we can help take the strain off the grid and avoid the need to switch on extra fossil fuels.”
On its website, Octopus Energy said Wednesday’s eclipse falls at a “very busy time” for power consumption in the UK as people tend to use a lot of electricity in the evenings to make dinner, boil the kettle and watch television.
The company added: “Currently, the UK has to fire up extra fossil-fuel run power stations to satisfy everyone’s energy needs at the busiest times of day, which is very expensive and causes lots of emissions.”
Octopus supplies power to more than 10 million homes in Britain.
Last month, the UK saw the sunniest July on record and for England and Wales it was the sunniest calendar month ever observed, according to the Met Office.
The exceptional sunshine helped solar power to a new monthly record, with the renewable technology providing 14.4% of all electricity over the month – and delivered a peak of 44% of generation for a period on the morning of Sunday July 12.
Octopus customers who use less electricity than normal for at least half an hour between 6pm and 8pm on Wednesday will be rewarded with a free hour of power on Sunday, the company said.
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