AN emergency plan designed to prevent blackouts by rewarding people for cutting back on energy use will not come into force on Tuesday.

National Grid announced it could potentially make its Demand Flexibility Service (DFS) live in order to avoid blackouts.

A notice issue by the Electricity System Operator (ESO) said: “Further to issuing the anticipated requirement notice.

“There is no longer considered to be a requirement for DFS.”

The National Grid’s system operator said it was considering the first ever live run of its Demand Flexibility Service, which works by asking households to reduce how much electricity they use at specific times.

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It then promises to pay them for any reductions which they make.

The scheme was test-run twice having been launched earlier this month but has not yet officially been made live.

Forecasts have predicted a large drop in the amount of power Britain will be able to import from France.

Consultancy service EnergyAppSys said: “Even though wind is coming back for tomorrow evening’s peak, slow return of nukes in France plus lower temperatures may mean that there is a reduction in available imports across the interconnectors.”

France has been facing issues with nuclear power plants which generate around three quarters of the country’s electricity.

It has added to the energy crisis facing Europe as the country faces a winter without Russia supplying gas.