Ministers have stepped back from mooted plans to launch a public information campaign to encourage households to reduce their energy use this winter. A campaign asking households to turn their thermostats down and use their dishwashers and washing machines at times when energy demand is lower has been discussed between the business department, energy companies and the network operator National Grid. However, the business department on Wednesday said there are now “no plans for the government to tell the public to reduce usage for the sake of our energy supplies”. National Grid will on Thursday explain how Britain’s power system will cope with a harsh winter, amid growing concern that factories could be forced to shut down as Vladimir Putin chokes Europe’s gas supplies. Ministers have so far played down the threat to energy supplies this winter, insisting in August that the UK’s “highly secure and diverse gas and electricity system” had prepared the UK for “all and every eventuality”. Liz Truss also ruled out rationing when she was campaigning to become Tory party leader – and her credo is not to tell people what to do. However, Russia has since intensified its squeeze on Europe’s gas supplies, including suspected sabotage of pipelines to Europe. It is understood that officials discussed using a text, phone call and email alert service run by National Grid to contact households about cutting power use. The system is normally used to notify consumers when it detects a power cut and gives timing estimates and confirmation when the power will be restored. Under the mooted plans, consumers could be sent advice on their energy use through the service. Sources close to the discussions said government officials and industry executives were determined to avoid blackouts disrupting the supply of energy to Britons’ homes. A public information campaign could help ease pressure on energy supplies during the winter. Energy rationing could also help to cut the huge bill for capping household and business energy prices, which the consultancy Cornwall Insight reckons will cost taxpayers £89bn. Ofgem, the energy regulator, has said there was a “significant risk” of gas shortages this winter because of the war in Ukraine, which has resulted in a dash for gas stocks in Europe before winter. National Grid is examining measures to prevent power shortages this winter. Earlier this year, Octopus Energy ran a trial that gave consumers a day’s notice to cut their usage during a peak period in return for payments. National Grid hopes to extend that service, but suppliers have suggested the payments may be too low. National Grid’s outlook for winter energy supplies will be the first comprehensive assessment of the risk of blackouts this winter. The eagerly awaited document should show how resilient Britain’s energy supplies are over the coming months. An early view, published in August, showed that the UK should be able to meet its energy demand in the coming months. However, since then Norway has indicated it may prioritise supplying its domestic market over exporting power. Government analysis has predicted that Britain could experience power cuts for four days in January if there were gas shortages and the weather was particularly severe. Although European countries have made good progress in filling up gas storage facilities and reducing consumption, there are concerns about supplies and high prices through next year. Last week, the Nord Stream Russian gas pipelines under the Baltic Sea were damaged, with Russian sabotage suspected. The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts this week said Europe could suffer a colder winter with less rain and wind than average. It predicted a period of high pressure over western Europe in November and December, which could reduce the amount of renewable power generated. European governments have attempted to cut consumption through various methods. Germany is trying to cut gas usage by around a fifth and has asked all companies and local authorities to reduce the minimum room temperature in their workspaces to 19C during the winter, and ministers in France are wearing warm clothes to send a message to consumers.