{{Short description|Increases of electrical power consumption at high rating TV programmes}} '''TV pickup''' is a phenomenon that occurs in the United Kingdom involving sudden surges in demand on the national electrical grid, occurring when a large number of people simultaneously watch the same television programme. TV pickup occurs when viewers take advantage of commercial breaks in programming to operate electrical appliances at the same time, causing large synchronised surges in national electricity consumption. Such sudden huge surges in demand tied to the TV schedule are unique to the United Kingdom.<ref>{{Citation |title=Britain peak power demand (from BBC TV series: Britain from Above) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slDAvewWfrA |language=en |access-date=2022-04-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-05-28 |title=Does the UK Really Experience Massive Power Surges When Soap Operas Finish from People Making Tea? |url=http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2017/05/uk-really-experience-power-surges-soap-operas-finish/ |access-date=2022-04-19 |website=Today I Found Out |language=en-US}}</ref>
Electricity networks devote considerable resources to predicting and providing supply for these events, which typically impose an extra demand of around 200–400 megawatts (MW) on the British National Grid. Short-term supply is often obtained from pumped storage reservoirs, which can be quickly brought online, and are backed up by the slower fossil fuel and nuclear power stations. The largest ever pickup occurred on 4 July 1990, when a 2800 megawatt demand was imposed by the ending of the penalty shootout in the England v West Germany FIFA World Cup semi-final.<ref name="bbc" /><ref name="telegraph">{{cite news|title=National Grid anticipates power surges during World Cup|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/energy/7819443/National-Grid-anticipates-power-surges-during-World-Cup.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100613054231/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/energy/7819443/National-Grid-anticipates-power-surges-during-World-Cup.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=13 June 2010|accessdate=31 October 2010|date=11 June 2010|location=London|work=The Daily Telegraph}}</ref> In addition to pickups, the Grid also prepares for synchronised switch-offs during remembrance and energy-awareness events.
== Cause == TV pickups occur during breaks in popular television programmes and are a surge in demand caused by the switching on of millions of electric kettles to brew cups of tea or coffee. Kettles in the UK are particularly high powered, typically consuming 2.5–3.0 kW and create a very high peak demand on the electrical grid. The phenomenon is common in the UK, where individual programmes can often attract a significantly large audience share.<ref name="bbc"/> The introduction of a wider range of TV channels is mitigating the effect, but it remains a large concern for the National Grid operators.<ref name="bbc"/>
There are typically several large peaks in energy use caused by TV pickup during each day, dependent on TV schedules, the day of the week and weather.<ref name="easton">{{cite web|last=Easton|first=Nick|title=A Day in the Life of an Operational Energy Manager|url=http://www.nationalgrid.com/NR/rdonlyres/49736B61-06E4-4241-AF0B-8E7D84053AF7/1227/Nick_Easton_A_day_In_The_Life_Of_.pdf|publisher=National Grid Transco|access-date=31 October 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100207095914/http://nationalgrid.com/NR/rdonlyres/49736B61-06E4-4241-AF0B-8E7D84053AF7/1227/Nick_Easton_A_day_In_The_Life_Of_.pdf|archive-date=7 February 2010|df=}}</ref> The largest pickup of the day is usually at 21:00, when several popular TV programmes end or go to commercial breaks.<ref name="easton"/> The most popular programmes, hence those giving the greatest pickup are soaps, sporting events, and reality TV. A typical TV pickup imposes an extra demand of 200–400 megawatts, with larger soap storylines bringing around 700–800 MW.<ref name="bbc">{{cite news |title=Can you have a big 'switch off'? |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/6981356.stm |newspaper=BBC News |date=6 September 2007 |access-date=30 October 2010 |archive-date=30 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210930194148/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/6981356.stm |url-status=live }}</ref>
== Response == {{see also|National Grid Reserve Service}} A sudden increase in demand, unmatched by an increase in supply, causes a drop in the mains frequency across the Grid (locally the voltage may also be affected due to changes in reactive power flows).<ref name="stem">{{cite web |title=Notes for guidance |url=http://www.nationalstemcentre.org.uk/elibrary/file/3369/Satis%2016-19%20units%2023-25.pdf |publisher=National STEM Centre |access-date=6 November 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314105825/http://www.nationalstemcentre.org.uk/elibrary/file/3369/Satis%2016-19%20units%2023-25.pdf |archive-date=14 March 2012 |df= }}</ref>
The National Grid Energy Balancing Team is responsible for ensuring an adequate supply of electricity and try to ensure a frequency of between 49.5 and 50.5 Hz is maintained.<ref name="easton"/><ref name="balancing">{{cite web |title=Balancing Services Open Day |url=http://www.nationalgrid.com/NR/rdonlyres/E6075963-DB92-4105-A9B0-00129CCAE37D/38374/NatGrid_Role_as_SO.pdf |publisher=National Grid |access-date=6 November 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100207103341/http://nationalgrid.com/NR/rdonlyres/E6075963-DB92-4105-A9B0-00129CCAE37D/38374/NatGrid_Role_as_SO.pdf |archive-date=7 February 2010 |df= }}</ref>{{r|carrington20131220}} To prepare for pickups the team runs a computer program that compares the current day with corresponding periods over the past five years to predict the size of demand,<ref name="bbc"/> and studies TV schedules to anticipate demand from popular shows. Grid employees must also be familiar with popular soap-opera storylines as one might cause a sudden rise in demand. Owing to this, they are aware of what shows attract the largest audiences and of customers' television choices; one expressed his disapproval in 2013, "The TV pickup from ''Deal or No Deal'' is gobsmackingly high. How sad is that?"<ref name="carrington20131220">{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/dec/20/strictly-come-dancing-bbc-national-grid | title=Strictly Come Dancing: National Grid prepares for biggest surge of the year | work=The Guardian | date=2013-12-20 | author=Carrington, Damian | access-date=2016-12-13 | archive-date=2015-01-20 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150120080254/http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/dec/20/strictly-come-dancing-bbc-national-grid | url-status=live }}</ref>
Sporting events like tennis matches are especially difficult because of the impossibility of predicting when one will end.{{r|carrington20131220}} International football finals are a particular problem as research has shown that 71% of people in the UK will watch them at home instead of public venues such as pubs.<ref name="telegraph"/> The Grid predicted a pickup of around 3000 MW, equivalent to 1.2 million kettles being turned on at once, if England made the later stages of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.<ref name="telegraph"/><ref name="ecp">{{cite web |title=News Roundup for June 14 |url=http://www.ect.coop/industry/news-roundup/news-roundup-for-june-14 |publisher=Electric Co-op |access-date=6 November 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718162136/http://www.ect.coop/industry/news-roundup/news-roundup-for-june-14 |archive-date=2011-07-18 |url-status=dead |df= }}</ref>
Diagram of a typical pumped storage power station|thumb
It is important to predict demand as precisely as possible as electricity grids are not capable of storing electricity in large quantities and all power stations have a lead-in time before generation can begin.<ref name="darvill">{{cite web |last=Darvill |first=Andy |title=Pumped Storage Reservoirs: Storing energy to cope with big demands |url=http://www.darvill.clara.net/altenerg/pumped.htm |accessdate=31 October 2010 |archive-date=1 September 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100901023352/http://www.darvill.clara.net/altenerg/pumped.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> Balancing teams attempt to meet short term fluctuations with "fast reserves" that are quick to come online, backed up with longer term fossil fuel-based "balance mechanism units".<ref name="easton"/> The shortest lead-in times are on pumped storage reservoirs, such as the Dinorwig Power Station that has the fastest response time of any pumped storage station in the world at just 12 seconds to produce 1320 MW.<ref name="darvill"/> Once the longer term fossil fuel stations, which have response times around half an hour, and nuclear power stations, which can take even longer, come online then pumped storage stations can be turned off and the water returned to the reservoir.<ref name="darvill"/> If capacity further exceeds demand, additional power is accessible via the HVDC Cross-Channel and BritNed undersea power cables that connect the UK to France and the Netherlands respectively.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Manton|first=Keegan|date=22 October 2021|title=TV Pickup {{!}} Why Britain Throws Millions of Gallons of Water From Enormous Mountains|url=https://alifeofmastery.com/tv-pickup/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211022081436/https://alifeofmastery.com/tv-pickup/|archive-date=22 October 2021|access-date=22 October 2021|website=A Life of Mastery}}</ref>
== Records == The largest TV pickups recorded in the UK are: {|class="wikitable sortable" |- !Pickup demand !Date !Programme |- |2800 MW |4 July 1990 |England v West Germany FIFA World Cup semi-final penalty shootout<ref name="bbc"/><ref name="drax">{{cite web|title=7 of the biggest TV moments in UK electricity history|url=https://www.drax.com/technology/7-of-the-biggest-tv-moments-in-uk-electricity-history/|website=Drax Group Plc|accessdate=31 May 2017|date=6 October 2016|archive-date=14 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171014234008/https://www.drax.com/technology/7-of-the-biggest-tv-moments-in-uk-electricity-history/|url-status=live}}</ref> |- |2600 MW |22 January 1984 |''The Thorn Birds''<ref name="bbc"/> – Final episode<ref>{{cite web|title=The Thorn Birds|url=http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/695cd8b4bf1c40f3a98c59484c1eacc7|website=The Radio Times Archive|publisher=BBC|access-date=14 October 2017|pages=27|date=1984|archive-date=14 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171014235315/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/695cd8b4bf1c40f3a98c59484c1eacc7|url-status=dead}}</ref> |- |2570 MW |21 June 2002 |England v Brazil FIFA World Cup quarter-final<ref name="bbc"/> |- |2340 MW |12 June 2002 |Nigeria v England FIFA World Cup group match<ref name=football/> |- |2290 MW |5 April 2001 |''EastEnders''<ref name="bbc"/> – "Who Shot Phil?"<ref name="drax"/> |- |2200 MW |16 January 1984 |''The Thorn Birds''<ref name=economics/> – Episode 4/5<ref>{{cite web|title=The Thorn Birds|url=http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/66a41bea1f3547dda2b57c4829347e8d|website=The Radio Times Archive|publisher=BBC|access-date=14 October 2017|pages=27|date=1984|archive-date=14 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171014235215/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/66a41bea1f3547dda2b57c4829347e8d|url-status=dead}}</ref> |- |2200 MW |20 July 1989 |''The Thorn Birds''<ref name="stuffed">{{cite book|last1=Patel|first1=Raj|title=Stuffed And Starved|date=2013|publisher=Granta Publications|isbn=9781846275050|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=069Cm_ttFyYC|language=en|access-date=2020-10-01|archive-date=2021-09-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210930194149/https://books.google.com/books?id=069Cm_ttFyYC|url-status=live}}</ref> |- |2200 MW |5 August 1985 |''Dallas''<ref name="stuffed"/> |- |2200 MW |28 April 1991 |''The Darling Buds of May''<ref name=economics/> |- |2200 MW |12 May 1991 |''The Darling Buds of May''<ref name="drax"/> |- |2200 MW |18 April 1994 |''EastEnders'' & ''Coronation Street'' (combined)<ref name=economics/> |- |2110 MW |22 November 2003 |England v Australia Rugby World Cup Final<ref name="drax"/> |- |2100 MW |30 June 1998 |Argentina v England FIFA World Cup round of 16 half time<ref name=economics/> |- |2100 MW |19 February 1986 |''The Colbys''<ref name="stuffed"/> |- |2010 MW |7 April 2002 |''Coronation Street''<ref name="stuffed"/> |- |2000 MW |1 April 1991 |''Coronation Street''<ref name=economics>{{cite book|last1=Hornby|first1=Win|last2=Gammie|first2=Robert|last3=Wall|first3=Stuart|title=Business Economics|date=2001|publisher=Financial Times Prentice Hall|isbn=9780273646037|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pnT4LAfUuzUC|language=en|access-date=2020-10-01|archive-date=2021-09-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210930194149/https://books.google.com/books?id=pnT4LAfUuzUC|url-status=live}}</ref> |- |2000 MW |3 July 1990 |Italy v Argentina FIFA World Cup semi-final<ref name=football/> |- |2000 MW |2 April 1984 |''Coronation Street'' & ''Blue Thunder'' (combined)<ref name="stuffed"/> |- |1960 MW |1 July 2006 |England v Portugal FIFA World Cup quarter-final<ref name=football>{{cite book|last1=Miller|first1=Toby|title=Greenwashing Sport|date=2017|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=9781317333470|page=63|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xEYrDwAAQBAJ|language=en|access-date=2020-10-01|archive-date=2021-09-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210930194149/https://books.google.com/books?id=xEYrDwAAQBAJ|url-status=live}}</ref> |- |1900 MW |5 April 1994 |''EastEnders''<ref name=economics/> |- |1830 MW |20 June 2006 |Sweden v England FIFA World Cup group match<ref name=football/> |- |1820 MW |21 April 1999 |Juventus v Manchester United UEFA Champions League semi-final<ref name=football/> |- |1820 MW |21 June 2002 |England v Brazil FIFA World Cup quarter-final<ref name=football/> |- |1800 MW |29 July 1981 |Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer<ref name=economics/> |- |1800 MW |2 September 1992 |''Coronation Street''<ref name=economics/> |- |1800 MW |3 September 1992 |''EastEnders''<ref name=economics/> |- |1800 MW |7 September 1992 |''Coronation Street''<ref name=economics/> |- |1800 MW |11 July 2021 |England v Italy UEFA European Football Championship final<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/NationalGridESO/status/1414508508318507008|title=National Grid ESO on Twitter|last=|first=|date=12 July 2021|website=Twitter|access-date=12 July 2021|archive-date=12 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210712102541/https://twitter.com/NationalGridESO/status/1414508508318507008|url-status=live}}</ref> |- |1700 MW |25 June 2006 |England v Ecuador FIFA World Cup round of 16<ref name=football/> |- |1600 MW |29 April 2011 |Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton<ref name="drax"/> |- |1400 MW |11 July 2018 |England v Croatia FIFA World Cup semi-final<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://twitter.com/Grid_Media/status/1017150511617839106|title=National Grid Media on Twitter|work=Twitter|access-date=2018-07-12|language=en|archive-date=2021-03-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308074022/https://twitter.com/Grid_Media/status/1017150511617839106|url-status=live}}</ref> |- |1400 MW |7 July 2018 |England v Sweden FIFA World Cup quarter-final<ref>{{cite web|url=https://mobile.twitter.com/Grid_Media/status/1015638075236585472|title=National Grid Media on Twitter|last=|first=|date=7 July 2018|website=Twitter|access-date=3 September 2018|archive-date=31 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200831035237/https://mobile.twitter.com/Grid_Media/status/1015638075236585472|url-status=live}}</ref> |- |1400 MW |7 July 2021 |England v Denmark UEFA European Football Championship semi-final<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/NationalGridESO/status/1413062252773707778|title=National Grid ESO on Twitter|last=|first=|date=8 July 2021|website=Twitter|access-date=8 July 2021|archive-date=8 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210708090758/https://twitter.com/NationalGridESO/status/1413062252773707778|url-status=live}}</ref> |- |1300 MW |14 July 2024 |Spain v England UEFA European Football Championship final (half-time)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://x.com/NationalGridESO/status/1812826722229711198|title=National Grid ESO on X|last=|first=|date=15 July 2024|website=X|access-date=27 July 2024}}</ref> |- |1200 MW |3 July 2018 |England v Colombia FIFA World Cup round of 16<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/nationalgriduk/status/1014255303175626754|title=National Grid Media on Twitter|last=|first=|date=3 July 2018|website=Twitter|access-date=4 July 2018|archive-date=8 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308201131/https://twitter.com/nationalgriduk/status/1014255303175626754|url-status=live}}</ref> |- |1000 MW |10 July 2024 |Netherlands v England UEFA European Football Championship semi-final (half-time)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://x.com/NationalGridESO/status/1811363394152259963|title=National Grid ESO on X|last=|first=|date=11 July 2024|website=X|access-date=27 July 2024}}</ref> |- |1000 MW |20 November 1995 |"An Interview with HRH The Princess of Wales"<ref name="LA-times-interviews">{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/nationalgriduk/status/1014255303175626754|title=Princess Diana, in TV Interview, Vows a ‘Fight to the End’|last=Montalbano|first=William D.|date=21 November 1995|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=20 August 2022}}</ref> |- |950 MW |16 April 2020 |Clap for Our Carers<ref name="drax"/> |- |700 MW |29 June 1994 |''Charles: The Private Man, the Public Role''<ref name="LA-times-interviews"/> |- |}
Other events can cause even bigger pickups for the National Grid than television events. Immediately following the solar eclipse of 11 August 1999 there was a record demand of 3000 MW.<ref name="eclipse">{{cite news|title=BBC News: Eclipse sparks record power surge|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/sci/tech/specials/total_eclipse/417650.stm|publisher=BBC|access-date=10 July 2012|archive-date=4 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170904012209/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/specials/total_eclipse/417650.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> This was the largest rapid increase that the grid had ever experienced but it had been anticipated and sufficient generating plant were made ready to accommodate the additional demand. Around 1000 MW of the demand was due to traditional TV pick-up demand caused by kettles, with the remainder arising from the return of people to their workplaces.<ref name=economics206>{{cite book|last1=Hornby|first1=Win|last2=Gammie|first2=Robert|last3=Wall|first3=Stuart|title=Business Economics|date=2001|publisher=Financial Times Prentice Hall|location=206|isbn=9780273646037|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pnT4LAfUuzUC|language=en|access-date=2020-10-01|archive-date=2021-09-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210930194208/https://books.google.com/books?id=pnT4LAfUuzUC|url-status=live}}</ref>
The Grid also plans for the opposite effect, a co-ordinated mass switch-off of appliances. Boxing Day is consistently, according to one employee, "the lowest of the low" power usage.{{r|carrington20131220}} At midday on 5 January 2005 a three minutes silence in remembrance of the Boxing Day Tsunami resulted in a 1300 MW temporary drop in consumption followed by a sudden 1400 MW rise.<ref name="elexon">{{Cite FTP |last=Batsone |first=Dorcas |title=Introduction Seminar – ELEXON, the BSC arrangements and the electricity industry |url=ftp://www.elexon.co.uk/about_elexon/introduction_seminar_-_elexon_and_the_balancing_and_settlement_code_%28bsc%29_arrangements_26-06-2007/introduction_seminar_%96_all_slides.pdf |server=Elexon |url-status=dead |accessdate=31 October 2010}}</ref> The 6 September 1997 funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales caused a 1000 MW drop.<ref name=economics/>
Similar, though smaller, switch-offs occur annually at 11 am on Remembrance Day.<ref name="bbc"/> These switch-offs occur during the day time, so they are smaller than pickups seen at night when more electrical appliances are likely to be in use.<ref name="bbc"/> National Grid argued against the mass switch-off originally planned for the Live Earth and Planet Aid events as these would have resulted in highly unpredictable demands for electricity and would have generated more carbon dioxide than would have been saved. These events were subsequently cancelled.<ref name="bbc"/>
The imposition of national lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic also affected the National Grid. Despite the trend towards streaming services reducing the magnitude of traditional pick-ups, televised pandemic statements such as by the Queen and Prime Minister Boris Johnson still attracted a large number of live viewers. For the Queen's 5 April 2020 address a pick-up of between 500 and 600 MW was recorded at the end of the event. The weekly Clap for Our Carers also saw a marginal dip in demand as people went outside followed by a peak in demand of around 1000 MW as people returned inside. During the lockdown periods demand for power overall was around 20% lower than usual owing to home working and furlough.<ref>{{cite web |title=4 ways lockdown life affected UK electricity use {{!}} National Grid Group |url=https://www.nationalgrid.com/uk/stories/grid-at-work-stories/4-ways-lockdown-life-affected-uk-electricity-use |website=National Grid |access-date=24 January 2022}}</ref>
== See also == *Load management *Control of the National Grid *Energy in the United Kingdom
== References == {{Reflist}} {{National Grid|state=autocollapse}} {{Energy in the United Kingdom|sources}}
Category:National Grid (Great Britain) Category:Electric power in the United Kingdom