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The surprising phenomenon is unique to the UK: the synchronized race to boil water for tea and coffee during large audience television intervals causes a brutal peak in energy consumption.
It was interval between Spain and England. Millions of English adherents, with their hearts still beating hard after 45 minutes tense, went straight to the kitchen, caught their kettles and prepared a cup of tea.
In these a few minutes, the United Kingdom’s national power grid faced a massive increase in seeking electricity.
According to the authorities knew this would happen. It was not a random peak, but a “television peak.”
A Synchronized race to boil water for tea And coffee during popular television intervals is a phenomenon that can cause large energy peaks, and this happens more often than you think.
Yes, because of tea
This phenomenon is exclusive to the United Kingdom, thanks to a perfect combination of cultural and electrical factors. British love your teaand the British kettles are particularly powerfulconsuming 2.5 to 3 kilowatts each.
When Millions of these kettles are connected simultaneouslythe sudden increase in demand for electricity is immense. In other countries, such as Portugal, similar peaks are less common due to different visualization habits and Lower dependence on high power bonlets.
When in a grande program or sports event there is a break for a commercial interval or reaches a dramatic end, people take advantage of Opportunity to “make a cup of tea”.
This synchronized behavior can increase the demand for energy to hundreds or even Thousands of Megawatts – A level of consumption that power plants have to strive to provide.
Obviously, This can cause problems with the power gridso people who generate the national network Know the television schedule Better than most television critics.
Indeed, the “Energy Balance Team” of National Grid, the UK energy distributor, predicts these peaks with meticulous accuracy: studies television programming, Monitor the plots of popular soap operas and anticipates viewers’ reactions to suspenseful moments and tense sports games.
Your mission is simple: Ensure that the lights remain lit, no matter how dramatic the time is on TV.
But to fulfill this mission, it is necessary to anticipate the suspense. Does the soccer game go to extension? This means another break for tea. Is a big suspense coming? So prepare the energy reserves.
TV is a problem
Managing these peaks is an act of delicate balance. National Grid aims maintain the frequency of supply of electricity between 49.5 and 50.5 Hz. If demand suddenly increases without an equivalent increase in supply, the frequency falls, which can destabilize the entire network.
To deal with this, the network uses a combination of Rapid Response Reservations e Longo Prazo backups: Pumping storage reservoirs provide the first line of defense; If more energy is required, fossil and nuclear fuel centers are triggered.
The United Kingdom can also import electricity from France and the Netherlands through submarine cables – such as those who r to minimize the likelihood that they will occur back appeals in our country.
This was a constant problem until a few years ago. Streaming services such as Netflix, with consumer hours chosen by users and distributed in time, relieved some of the problemsBut when it comes to major punctual events, such as football games, peaks continue to occur.
The most epic energy peak of energy ever happened in the football match England vs. Germany of July 4, 1990: No television broadcast surpassed the peak that followed this world championship half.
The game arrested the attention of the nation from beginning to end. After 120 minutes, the tension increased to a breathtaking great penalties. The English dreams of reaching the final ended with a great penalty wasted by Chris Waddle.
When the final whistle sounded and tears ran across the country, Millions of people needed a moment to compose themselves – and prepare a cup of tea. The peak that resulted from this 2.800 megawatts, It remains the largest in history, having equivalent to the consumption of almost 1.2 million homes.
Other memorable peaks took place at the end of the last episode of the American series The Thorn Birdson January 22, 1984 (2,600 MW), and during the Prince Charles and Lady Diana Weddingon July 29, 1981 (1,800 MW), when the newlyweds changed the iconic kiss to varnishment.
Apparently, viewers at home took advantage of this precise moment to toast to the bride and groom – with tea, of course.
