Octopus Energy, Great Britain’s largest household energy supplier, has issued a request to its customers to minimize electricity consumption this week during a significant solar eclipse. The eclipse is anticipated to block approximately 95% of the sun across parts of Britain, occurring on Wednesday evening between 6pm and 8pm. The supplier specifically asked customers to delay running washing machines and dishwashers during this two-hour window.
The timing of the eclipse presents particular challenges for the national electricity system. As the moon blocks the sun, solar power generation is expected to drop sharply—losing between 700 megawatts and 1.3GW across the UK alone. This loss of renewable energy arrives during a period when electricity demand typically peaks in the early evening. Compounding the situation, the country is experiencing its fifth heatwave of the year, which increases demand for air conditioning, fans, and refrigeration systems. Across Europe as a whole, the eclipse could eliminate approximately 9.7GW of solar generation during its peak.
Octopus Energy is offering incentives for participation through its rewards program. Customers enrolled in the supplier’s “saving sessions” who reduce electricity consumption during the eclipse will receive a free hour of electricity to use the following weekend. The company estimates that households could provide up to 13 gigawatts of flexible electricity capacity to support the grid, though only a fraction of this potential is currently being utilized.
The National Energy System Operator, which manages Great Britain’s electricity grid, has been preparing for the event for over a year and described it as “one of the most unusual evenings our control room will manage this year.” System operators across Europe are concerned about the strain on power supplies already weakened by extreme heat. Several nuclear and coal plants have reduced output or shut down due to insufficient water levels for cooling, while hydropower reservoirs in Norway have reached their lowest levels in 30 years. Analysts at RBC Capital Markets characterized Europe’s electricity supply as already “tight” amid the heatwave conditions.
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