U.K. homes could soon be powered for nothing at the weekends, if radical plans by energy supplier British Gas are implemented.
The company — owned by British multinational utility company Centrica — said it was considering reducing the strain on the power grid by offering free electricity to customers on Saturdays, when demand is weaker.
Speaking at Centrica's presentation of its half-year results on Wednesday, chief executive Ben Laidlaw said the free tariff, which is already offered to customers in parts of the U.S., could be trialed in the U.K.
Laidlaw told the Telegraph newspaper that the free tariff could be launched for U.K. customers by mid-2014.
"We are some distance away from getting all the systems in place," Laidlaw said, adding that the scheme was just rolling out in Texas. "We want to see how well it works in Texas," he said.