UK households told don't use dishwasher between 6pm and 8pm on Wednesday
Households have been warned to not use dishwashers and washing machines during the two hour slot on Wednesday as the solar eclipse will be visible from most of the UK
UK households have been told to not use their dishwasher between 6pm and 8pm on Wednesday during this week's solar eclipse.
Britain's biggest energy supplier Octopus Energy is asking customers to delay using devices including washing machines and dishwashers during these hours when the moon is expected to block up to 95 per cent of sunlight.
The call comes as the block will see solar generation plunge in the moments it usually picks up post work.
According to the National Energy System Operator, which runs Britain's electricity grid, the eclipse could knock out as much as 1.3 gigawatts (GW) of supply.
This equates to enough energy to roughly power half a million homes.
To help cover some of the shortage, gas-fired power stations will be turned on.
Although it is not believed that the eclipse will lead to power outages, Octopus have urged people to use less energy in these hours to help reduce the need for gas power.
If customers cut their energy use during this time frame Octopus is offering free electricity at a later date.
It comes as part of the energy companies push to urge households to change when they use electricity, with their 'agile' tariff changing electricity prices every half an hour in line with wholesale costs.
Kieron Stopforth, the company’s head of flexibility, said that half a million of Octopus’s eight million customers already take part in its so-called “demand-shifting” scheme.
He said: “We need to create the right price signals in the market that incentivise more flexible energy use.”
These programmes have been criticised as they are seen to punish households that cannot easily shift their consumption, such as those reliant on electronic medical devices, reports The Telegraph.
Claire Coutinho, the shadow energy secretary, said last year: “Our energy system should suit what people want to do, not the other way around.”
Mr Stopforth insisted that participation remains voluntary. He added: “We’re not in a position where we’re going to be forcing customers to do something that they don’t want to do.”
The rare partial solar eclipse this week, will see most of the sun blocked out by the moon and is expected to be the largest visible from Britain since 1999.
More than 90% of the sun will be obscured by the moon between 6.17pm and 8.06pm on August 12.
The Met Office revealed the best places in the UK to see the cosmic phenomena were Devon, Cornwall and the west of Pembrokeshire.
These areas energy systems will be impacted the most, with solar farms in the locations expected to see the biggest reductions in output.
Neso has said that despite the historical scenes, the impact on the electricity system will be manageable.
The grid has been planning for the event for roughly a year with generators aware to have enough capacity to deal with the anticipated shortfalls.
