Brits asked to reduce electricity use as the grid buckles under heavy demand from cold snap

Britain’s grid operator is paying customers to not use electricity due to an ongoing cold snap.

The National Grid, which oversees much of Great Britain’s electricity supply, began offering incentives Tuesday for households with smart meters to reduce their electricity consumption during a period of high demand brought about by a cold spell, according to the BBC.

The National Grid was paying households across the country to reduce 550 megawatts of electricity Friday evening, Reuters reported Thursday, in anticipation of ongoing high demand.

Smart meters provide detailed information on electricity consumption by households that have them.

The United Kingdom, which includes Great Britain, has committed to decarbonizing its electricity sector by 2035.

In the past week, natural gas and coal have powered nearly 40% of the National Grid’s generation. Nuclear provided nearly 12%, and wind and solar provided 31%.