British households asked to reduce power for second day as wind fades

Last week Centrica, the UK’s biggest energy supplier which also owns Bord Gáis here, said it would double payments to British households willing to save power during peak demand times this winter.

Britain's power grid operator asked three reserve coal units to be ready to supply power and consumers to curb demand through Tuesday, as it tries for a second consecutive day to plug the gap left by a dearth of wind generation.

The measures demonstrate how vulnerable Britain remains to colder weather and fluctuations in wind output as it struggles to alleviate its energy crunch. Monday marked the first time British households were asked to help balance the network after freezing temperatures caused demand to spike.