THIS is the exact time you will find out if an emergency blackout plan will take place and how much you could be paid.
It comes as the National Grid is set to trigger an emergency blackout plan tomorrow, with Brits potentially being paid to turn off their energy.
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The winter emergency electricity plan could be activated for the first time with supplies tight due in part to problems in the French energy grid.
The demand flexibility service (DFS) scheme, has already been tested twice in the last two weeks but has not yet been run for a live event.
National Grid said it would decide by around 2.30pm today whether to issue the notice to suppliers and households.
And households will be offered up to £100 by their energy supplier if they cut their use at peak times.
The National Grid ESO previously told The Sun the £100 saving is based on households receiving £3 for every kilowatt-hour during the 12 test demonstrations.
The figure represents the electricity reductions the network thinks a typical household might be able to save.
But the exact saving, and how it is distributed to households, will depend on the individual energy suppliers.
Under the DFS scheme, National Grid will pay households to cut power demand in a number of ways.
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This could be by stopping running the washing machine or dishwasher until the supply crunch has eased.
Households which have signed up to the programme in advance will get a message asking them to turn off appliances at a certain time in exchange for £3 per kilowatt-hour saved.
If the £3 is fully passed on by the suppliers to customers, that implies payments of up to £20 for each day when requested by National Grid.
Those taking part will be able to earn money for switching off their appliances during the night amid blackout warnings.
Households can sign up – but only if they have a working smart meter, which means the millions that don’t have one, or have issues with theirs, won’t be able to apply.
People are being encouraged to sign up with their electricity supplier so they can get money back on their bills.
Those participating through the programme will be sent a message from the network if there is increased pressure on the system.
To qualify, energy usage would need to be reduced in peak times such as 9am to 11am and 4.30pm to 6.30pm.
Customers will typically be notified via text message which days and exact times they can earn cash by reducing their usage.
Suppliers don’t have to take part in the scheme, but British Gas, EDF, EON and Octopus have signed up for it.
The potential emergency blackout means that football fans may have their World Cup experience interrupted if the power cuts go ahead.
England play Wales in a crunch clash tomorrow night with kick off scheduled for 7pm.
It comes as the nation is battling a crippling energy crisis, partly due to the ongoing war in Ukraine.
It is hoped that by paying people to charge their electric cars at off-peak times and firing up backup coal plants it can offset the risk of outages.
Certain “protected sites” like hospitals, food manufacturers, oil refineries, some ports, financial services, essential water and sewerage installations, major airports and digital and telecommunication services may not experience blackouts.
