Bigswitchoff3

Redsfc14

Why is Bigswitchoff not being promoted by any MSE or media outlets ?.
I can't believe people are willing to just keep paying whilst the energy companies make record profits .
This is a peaceful protest which can make a difference if enough people take part . Next one is Friday 8.00 pm for 10 mins . Then daily . #Bigswitchoff3

Section62

Redsfc14 said:

Why is Bigswitchoff not being promoted by any MSE or media outlets ?.
I can't believe people are willing to just keep paying whilst the energy companies make record profits .
This is a peaceful protest which can make a difference if enough people take part . Next one is Friday 8.00 pm for 10 mins . Then daily . #Bigswitchoff3

Are the energy companies "mak[ing] record profits"?  I thought a whole load had folded in the last 12 months, the consequences of which is one of the reasons why people's bills are increasing.

Along with other factors (pandemic, war, etc) which are outside the control of the 'energy companies'.

Maybe this is why MSE and other media outlets don't see this protest as something that should be promoted... or they realise that switching your power off isn't really an effective means of protest when it is only for short durations and at times which have been well publicised in advance.

gefnew

Plus the cost to the grid of balancing the surge when every switches back on, then your daily sc may have to increase to reflect the extra resources  used.

Ultrasonic

Not liking a price increase is not a reason to protest about it. I understand why prices need to increase.

Were there a well thought out campaign behind a real plan as to how to try to manage the current situation, in particular how to support those who most need it, then I may support it. This 'switching your lights off' nonsense isn't it.

jimjames

Shame the people promoting this don't actually try to get people to reduce their usage rather than some meaningless action. 

Section62

jimjames said:

Shame the people promoting this don't actually try to get people to reduce their usage rather than some meaningless action. 

Yes, if it was 'switch off for a month' there might be a positive outcome.  But not quite the one the organisers were hoping for.

Phlik

Waste of time, 8:00pm, our household is using in the region of 400w.
Now if industry shutdown for 10 minutes then that would be felt. Trouble is your aiming at the wrong people, utility suppliers shouldn't be the target, no matter what some idiot on facebook tells you.

Gerry1

Crazy idea, especially before sunset.  Not much domestic electricity consumption at this time of year so the difference nationally simply won't be detectable.

Switching lots of high power devices on would be more noticeable, e.g. several 3kW loads such as a kettle, fan heater, tumble dryer, cooker.  The miners (remember them?) had a Switch On At Six' campaign many years ago, although they misjudged the peak consumption time.  But their intention was to cripple the network, which might have worked, but a tiny dip in consumption won't trigger any power cuts so nobody will notice.

Even if the blip in consumption were noticeable, what would it achieve?  Nobody will offer a king's ransom and beg the participants to stop, and everyone's discontent with the higher prices is already well known, it's not exactly unpublicised.

Astria

It's not promoted because most people know it will make no difference in reality.

For example, if I turn off my main breaker at 8pm for 10 minutes I'd say they'd see a drop of about 60W.

Now, considering the grid can quite happily cope with millions of people turning on their kettles during the adverts of the latest popular TV program (and the turning off again) do you really think a few hundred thousand people turning off a TV and a few lights will make any difference whatsoever?

badger09

jimjames said:

Shame the people promoting this don't actually try to get people to reduce their usage rather than some meaningless action. 

THIS ^^^^

I hadn’t heard of Bigswitchoff#3 or 1&2 TBH but was disappointed to read that instead of being a sensible campaign to encourage everyone to reduce fuel usage wherever possible, it’s another load of meaningless twaddle by so called celebrities with nothing more meaningful to do with their lives😡

Mstty

Looks like it's a "no" from the energy board