Ofgem to call on consumers to cut gas and electricity use

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The UK’s energy regulator will urge households to cut their gas and electricity use “where possible” after the government blocked a state-led information campaign amid fears over potential blackouts this winter.

Ofgem’s chief executive, Jonathan Brearley, is expected to announce the regulator’s own public information campaign on Thursday, when he will tell the Energy UK conference “this isn’t the time for complacency” as energy costs continue to rise.

He is expected to say that reducing energy consumption is “not only the most direct way of reducing our bills [but] it directly helps with security of supply, contributes to decarbonisation, and saves money for the public finances,” according to the Financial Times.

The new campaign will reportedly see Ofgem collaborate with groups including Citizens Advice to ensure information reaches as many households as possible. “We are one player among many that are trying to make this happen and I think the details of how we do it are still to be worked through,” Brearley told the FT.

It comes after Liz Truss’s government blocked plans for a public information campaign to encourage people to reduce their energy use, claiming it would seem like the actions of a “nanny state”. Jacob Rees-Mogg, the business secretary, had reportedly signed off on a ?15m campaign before it was scrapped by Downing Street.

The decision was made despite fears that households could experience a series of three-hour power cuts this winter if Vladimir Putin shuts off gas supplies from Russia or Britain experiences a cold snap, according to the National Grid.

The Ofgem boss’s speech will be the first made by the regulator’s chief executive since Truss’s government announced it would spend up to ?150bn to slash surging energy bills for households and businesses.