The government will not tell people to reduce energy usage because it is “not a nanny-state” but refuses to rule out rationing, the climate minister has said.
On the prime minister’s decision to avoid a public information energy-saving campaign, Graham Stuart said the government is “hesitant to tell people what they should do”.
Underlining that the government is not a “nanny-state,” Mr Stuart explained: “What we are prepared to do is talk to the big energy users and talk to consumers with smart technology about rewarding them for reducing energy at the peak times.
“The danger is if you had a sort of general ‘use less energy’ message that the wrong lessons would be taken on board by people.”
It comes as British households face rolling three-hour long blackouts if gas imports fall short of demand this winter, National Grid has warned.
Russia’s war has created “unprecedented turmoil and volatility” in energy markets, the company said on Thursday, adding that pre-planned power cuts may be necessary to give power plants priority.
