Energy Crisis: Poor May be Paid to not Use Electricity as Blackout Fears Grow

Those struggling with the ongoing cost of living crisis may be paid to not use energy at all in the hopes of averting rolling blackouts.

Millions of households in Britain may end up being given the opportunity to be paid not to use electricity at certain times.

The plan is another reported method authorities in the UK are considering to avert the possibility of rolling blackouts this winter, an eventuality described as being a real possibility as a result of energy shortages brought about by European overreliance on Russian gas exports.

According to a report by The Times, the plan proposed by the National Grid would allow households with smart meters to receive payment for dropping their usage during peak times, such as when people often cook, clean and do laundry.

Payments could consist of up to £6 (~$7.40) per kilowatt-hour saved, with one trial run of the scheme seemingly rendering some positive results.

One element of the scheme that does raise eyebrows is how it has been marketed by officials to The Times, with great emphasis being placed on the benefits the emergency plan will have for the climate.

“We’d rather give customers discounts if they use less power, at these times, rather than swelling bills to pay polluters,” said Octopus CEO Greg Jackson, while another National Grid rep claimed that “demand shifting has the potential to save consumers money, reduce carbon emissions and offer greater flexibility on the system.”

The new energy-saving plan schemed up by British energy grid officials represents only the latest innovation conjured up by those in Europe to tackle the ongoing energy crisis brought about by a combination of the ongoing war in Ukraine, as well as the climate crazy policies enacted by those on the continent.

While nations such as Ireland, Italy, Greece and France have all had to wrestle with their past energy policy decisions in the hopes of averting the chaos that would result from intermittent blackouts, Germany is likely one of the European countries most in danger as a result of its previous choices regarding energy security.

Being warned all the way back in 2018 by then-President Donald Trump that its addiction to Russian gas would end poorly, Moscow’s recent decision to dramatically slash the supply it sends Germany every month has resulted in massive energy security in the country.

Robert Habeck, the Green minister for the economy and climate change is now warning that he may have to halt the activities of industry in the country — by extension likely crashing its economy — in order to simply keep the lights on and heat running for ordinary people during the coming winter.

“Companies would have to stop production, lay off their workers, supply chains would collapse, people would go into debt to pay their heating bills, that people would become poorer,” Habeck previously said while describing the eventuality.