Electricity demand during the week has fallen to its lowest level since 1982 during the coronavirus lockdown, research has found.
Analysis from Imperial College London suggests reductions in Tube services, machinery and office use has seen demand fall to its lowest in nearly 40 years.
Academics at the university, carrying out the analysis for Drax Electric Insights, told the Telegraph they found electricity use during the week has fallen by 13 per cent as a result of lockdown measures.
The last time demand for power was this low was the early 1980s, a period of economic decline when the UK was also home to 10 million fewer people.
The UK has been on lockdown since March 23, with anyone who can work from home advised to do so and the drop in people commuting has seen a big decrease in the use of electricity-powered transport.
The analysis also cited reduced use in simple items including lights, heaters and air conditioning for a decline in electricity usage.
The researchers concluded that lockdown has been much like living through "a month of Sundays" in power terms - with electricity profiles for the average lockdown weekday looking similar to the average of a Saturday or Sunday in March of previous years.
Researchers told the Telegraph their findings suggest that with "even a small share of the population continuing to work from home on some days, there could be a lasting impact on electricity demand for years to come".
Iain Staffell, lead author of the quarterly Electric Insights reports, added: "Britain's electricity system is under pressure like never before, with both the country's weather getting more extreme and a global pandemic testing its resolve.
"Having flexibility within the power system at these critical moments is crucial to keeping Britain's lights on."
The analysis also revealed one positive outcome - carbon emissions from UK power production have fallen by 35 per cent on the same period in 2019.
