Britain’s electricity consumption is closely related to television and tea. The connection becomes particularly evident when a popular television programme comes to an end. Almost simultaneously, millions of viewers rise from their sofas, head to their kitchens and switch on their electric kettles to make a cup of tea. Within minutes, the nation's electricity consumption shoots up by thousands of megawatts. This peculiar occurrence, known as TV pickup, is a well-documented feature of Britain's electricity network.
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For much of the 20th century, television viewing in Britain, and much of the modern world, was a shared national experience. Unlike today, when viewers can watch programmes whenever they like on streaming platforms, audiences once followed fixed broadcasting schedules. Millions of households would tune in to the same programme at the same time, whether it was a popular soap opera, a football match or a much-anticipated television drama.
When the programme ended, viewers often got up to make a cup of tea, prepare a meal or attend to other household chores. The electric kettle, one of the most commonly used appliances in British homes, was particularly responsible for the sudden increase in electricity consumption. A typical kettle draws between 2.5 and 3 kilowatts of power. When hundreds of thousands of households switch on their kettles within a few minutes of one another, the combined demand becomes enormous.
The electricity industry calls this sudden increase a pickup. Although individual households consume relatively little electricity, their synchronised behaviour can produce a substantial disturbance in the national demand curve. What makes the phenomenon especially interesting is that electricity engineers can often anticipate it by studying television schedules.
Some of the most spectacular examples of TV pickup have occurred during major football tournaments. Few events demonstrate the phenomenon better than the 1990 FIFA World Cup semi-final between England and West Germany.
On 4 July 1990, millions of Britons sat glued to their television sets as England faced West Germany in Turin, Italy. The match remained goalless after normal time, and neither side managed to break the deadlock during extra time. The contest eventually went to a penalty shootout. England lost 4–3, with Stuart Pearce and Chris Waddle missing their penalties. The defeat ended England's hopes of reaching the World Cup final and left millions of viewers disappointed.
FIFA World Cup semi-final match between West Germany and England, on July 4th 1990
As the match ended, disappointed British viewers began switching off their television sets and heading to their kitchens. Many put on their kettles, producing a sudden and extraordinary surge in electricity consumption. The National Grid registered an increase of approximately 2,800 megawatts, one of the most remarkable TV pickups ever recorded in Britain. To put that figure into perspective, it was equivalent to the combined power consumption of nearly a million electric kettles operating simultaneously, assuming each kettle drew around 3 kilowatts.
Football was not the only television entertainment capable of producing such dramatic fluctuations. In January 1984, the finale of the American television miniseries The Thorn Birds attracted an enormous British audience. When the programme ended, electricity demand reportedly jumped by approximately 2,600 megawatts. The popular American television drama Dallas produced another substantial pickup the following year, with an increase of around 2,200 megawatts.
Again, in 2001, an episode of the British soap opera EastEnders revealing the identity of the person who shot Phil Mitchell attracted enormous attention. When the episode ended, electricity consumption reportedly increased by approximately 2,290 megawatts.
These figures illustrate just how synchronised television viewing once was. A fictional murder mystery could have consequences for the country's electricity supply almost as significant as a major sporting event.
The British National Grid cannot simply wait for these surges to happen. Because electricity is difficult to store in large quantities, the supply entering the national grid must closely match the electricity being consumed. If demand suddenly increases without a corresponding increase in generation, the system's frequency begins to fall. Britain's electricity network is designed to operate at 50 hertz, and maintaining this frequency is essential for the stability of the entire system.
Consequently, electricity operators must anticipate sudden changes in demand and ensure that sufficient generating capacity is available to meet them. Television schedules can actually help them do this. By knowing when popular programmes are due to finish, operators can estimate when viewers are likely to switch on their kettles and prepare accordingly.
One particularly useful resource is pumped-storage hydroelectric power. These facilities store energy by pumping water uphill into reservoirs when electricity demand is low. When demand rises, the stored water is released through turbines to generate electricity. Because they can respond relatively quickly, pumped-storage stations are useful for meeting sudden increases in consumption. Other power stations and balancing resources can also be brought into action to maintain the balance between electricity supply and demand.
The TV pickup phenomenon has become less of a problem in recent decades. The proliferation of television channels, recording devices and on-demand streaming services has fundamentally changed viewing habits. People no longer have to watch the same programme at the same time, and audiences are now spread across different channels and platforms.
Nevertheless, major national broadcasts can still produce noticeable surges in electricity demand. On 11 August 1999, immediately following the solar eclipse there was a record demand of 3,000 MW. In April 2020, Queen Elizabeth II delivered a televised address to the nation during the first coronavirus lockdown. After the broadcast ended, the National Grid subsequently recorded an increase in electricity demand of approximately 500–600 megawatts as viewers got up and switched on appliances, including their kettles.
What makes TV pickup so fascinating is that it demonstrates how the collective behaviour of millions of ordinary people can affect a country’s critical infrastructure such as the country's electricity grid.
References:
# Surging expectations. National Grid
# Can you have a big 'switch off'?. BBC
# TV pickup. Wikipedia
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