Britons could be told to reduce their energy consumption this winter to reduce the risk of blackouts

Weeks after Downing Street urged people not to panic or reduce their energy use, it has been reported that ministers want a public information campaign to turn off devices on the wall

A smart meter monitor (stock photo) (

Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto

Britons could be told to reduce their energy consumption this winter as part of an official government campaign to reduce the risk of blackouts, we have learned.

Ministers are drawing up plans for a public information campaign to encourage people to turn down thermostats and turn TVs off instead of leaving them on standby, according to the Times.

Ministers fear Liz Truss' plan to cap bills will mean demand will not be reduced as supply tightens, it has been reported.

Under Boris Johnson, Downing Street insisted that people should not panic or reduce their energy consumption.

A spokeswoman for the Prime Minister said last month: "These decisions, in terms of energy consumption, remain individual decisions. Households, businesses and industry can be confident that they will have the electricity and gas they need."

But Nadhim Zahawi - who got a job in Liz Truss' cabinet - later said: "The reality is that we should all be looking at our energy use. These are tough times.

Nadhim Zahawi said, "The reality is that we should all be looking at our energy usage. These are tough times" (

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Getty Images)

"There is war on our continent.

"Very few people anticipated war. Wars are fought in faraway places. It is now among us. We must remain resilient. My responsibility is to provide this help."

The German government has warned that a “national effort is needed” to reduce dependence on Russian gas, with minimum ambient temperatures in public buildings reduced to 19°C and unheated foyers and halls...