Scotland records largest early‑morning power surge during World Cup return

Scotland has recorded the largest early‑morning power surge during the national men’s team’s triumphant World Cup return.

Engineers recorded an up to 15% rise in overnight electricity demand in the central belt and south of Scotland during the match on Sunday morning.

Scottish Power Energy Networks said the surge was equivalent to around 200,000 additional homes coming online at a time that is usually one of the quietest for the network.

The biggest spikes were seen in Easterhouse, Glasgow and the North of Edinburgh, around Leith, as supporters gathered in homes, pubs, and fan zones across the country.

“This was a huge moment for Scotland, and we’re proud that our teams kept the power flowing as fans across the country came together in the early hours to celebrate a historic win,” Stephen Kelly, transmission operations director at SP Energy Networks’ said.

The men’s national team secured a win in their first World Cup game in 28 years over the weekend.

Fans across the country stayed up into the early hours of the morning to watch Steve Clarke’s side defeat Haiti 1-0 in their first World Cup fixture since 1998.

SP Energy Networks said the country was still powered largely by fossil fuels and nuclear generation the last time Scotland’s men’s team made a World Cup appearance.

Today, the power company said the system is predominantly supplied by renewable energy from assets such as Whitelee Windfarm.

With electricity demand set to double by 2050, SP Energy Networks said there is a need for a network overhaul to increase grid capacity, strengthen energy security and reduce constraint costs while helping homes and businesses move to an all-electric future.

Mr Kelly added: “We have teams working around the clock to monitor and manage the network 365 days a year.

“Our £12 billion investment in the transmission network alone will help us maintain that reliability while enabling more affordable, homegrown energy, creating jobs and boosting the economy for generations to come.”