No plan for energy saving campaign, minister says

The climate minister has said the government will not be launching a public information campaign on reducing household energy use this winter.

Ministers were discussing a plan to encourage energy saving at home.

But the minister, Graham Stuart, denied a report that Liz Truss had blocked the campaign and insisted energy supplies were secure.

Mr Stuart told the BBC the UK was in a "strong position" this winter despite a National Grid warning of blackouts.

The National Grid's warning of possible power cuts was based on a worst-case scenario of gas shortages if the energy crisis in Europe escalates.

The UK is heavily reliant on gas to produce electricity, with gas-fired power stations generating more than 40% of the country's electricity.

In the "unlikely" event that gas supplies ran extremely low, homes and businesses in the UK could face three-hour planned blackouts, National Grid said.

Speaking on BBC Breakfast, Mr Stuart said he was "confident the government has done everything in its power" to make sure energy rationing would not be necessary this winter.

But he added: "We make plans for all scenarios."

During the Conservative leadership campaign, Prime Minister Liz Truss pledged there would be no energy rationing this winter.

On Thursday, when asked if she could guarantee there would be no blackouts, Ms Truss said: "We do have a good supply of energy in the UK."

The government says National Grid has drawn up plans to launch a voluntary service to reward users who reduce demand at peak times.

The BBC understands the government was also considering plans to advise households to switch off their appliances and heating to conserve energy during winter.

But the Times newspaper reported that the prime minister rejected plans for a £15m public information campaign, which was signed off by the business secretary, Jacob Rees-Mogg.

It reported that Ms Truss was said to be "ideologically opposed" to the campaign amid concerns it would be too interventionist.

In her speech to the Conservative Party conference this week, the prime minister said she would not tell people what to do.

In an interview with Sky News, Mr Stuart, dismissed suggestions that Ms Truss had vetoed a planned campaign on energy savings.

"So the idea that there was some highly developed campaign that we were passionately devoted to and No 10 nixed it, I don't recognise that," Mr Stuart said. "I don't think that's the way it was."

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has caused turmoil and volatility in the energy markets, sending fuel bills rocketing., and tightening supplies of oil and gas globally.

Ahead of winter countries across Europe are scrambling to shore up supplies, as gas flows from Russia are restricted.

This comes after government stepped in with an energy support package to help people with soaring bills.