Britain’s biggest household power supplier, Octopus Energy, has asked customers to cut electricity use for two hours on Wednesday to cope with a solar eclipse during peak demand.

A total eclipse of the Sun – the first visible from mainland Europe since 1999 – will occur on August 12 from 15:00 to 19:00 GMT (4-8 PM London time). The UK is expected to experience a deep partial eclipse, with around 90% to 96% of the Sun obscured.

The National Energy System Operator (NESO), which runs Britain’s grid, estimates solar generation could fall by up to 1.3 gigawatts – equivalent to the power used by around 1 million homes.

With the eclipse partly coinciding with peak evening demand, Octopus Energy asked its roughly 8 million UK customers on Monday to avoid using appliances and devices such as dishwashers, games consoles, and washing machines from 6-8 PM.

The voluntary scheme offers households that comply one hour of free electricity on August 16. Customers who share photos on social media showing what they did outside instead of using power can also win free solar panels and installation or a £12,000 ($16,200) cash alternative.

Octopus believes that if enough households delay electricity use during the eclipse, it could reduce the need for Britain’s grid operator to fire up additional gas-powered stations to replace lost solar generation.

Solar Energy UK recently reported that solar accounted for 14.4% of UK electricity generation in July, a monthly record, while a single-day record of 19.5% was set in late May. NESO data shows renewables now account for around 40% of Britain’s energy mix, up from 30% five years ago.

Persistent energy woes

The news comes as the UK – a major Western sponsor of the Kiev regime and leading advocate of sanctions on Russia – continues to grapple with high energy costs after largely cutting itself off from cheap Russian energy following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022.