NESO ready for record electricity demand during biggest-ever FIFA World Cup

Security of Supply 8 Jun 2026 - 4 minute read
Football pitch in the dark

As football fans across Great Britain gear up to cheer on England and Scotland in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, our energy analysts at the Electricity National Control Centre are preparing for peaks in demand during what is the biggest tournament ever.

  • 600 MW expected pickup for each England and Scotland group game
  • 40–50% of electricity expected from renewables
  • 20% less electricity to watch matches than in 1998
  • 18 GW more electricity use across the tournament compared to Qatar 2022 

Our analysts anticipate that each of Scotland and England's group games could see a national electricity pickup of around 600 MW—the equivalent of the total electricity demand for the cities of Glasgow and Leeds, combined.

This year's World Cup will be the greenest yet for TV viewing in Britain. Around 40–50% of the electricity used is expected to come from renewables—a significant shift from the USA in 1994, when televisions were largely powered by coal. Thanks to more efficient TVs and devices, Britain could use around 20% less electricity used to watch matches than in 1998, when Scotland last played in a World Cup—even though the population has grown by 11 million over the last 50 years.

As the largest World Cup ever staged—with an extra 40 games compared to any previous tournament—our energy analysts are on standby for a 2026 FIFA World Cup that could lead to as much as 60% more electricity demand across the tournament. That means 18 GW more electricity used across the 39 days compared to Qatar 2022.

Demand often rises at both half and full-time, as people head to the kitchen to open the fridge or put the kettle on. Our control room is ready for these moments, using forecasting and technologies such as batteries and pumped hydro storage to keep the system balanced—ensuring fans don't miss a moment.

Surges predicted for home nations fixtures

Scotland fans will be hoping for better luck this time as they take on Haiti, Morocco, and Brazil in their group games. After a 28-year wait, excitement is high, with hundreds of pubs likely to stay open late, so fans can watch the late-night games. These games usually fall in the quietest hours for electricity use, but our engineers expect demand could still rise by up to 200 MW as fans stay up to watch.

England's opening match against Croatia is likely to draw a large viewing audience. Demand could rise by as much as 800 MW—which would be even higher than the 600 MW spike recorded during England's 1966 World Cup win.

Electricity demand usually rises the further England and Scotland go in the tournament, with the biggest games attracting the most viewers. The current record was set during England's 1990 semi-final against West Germany, when a missed penalty in the shootout was followed by a 2,800 MW surge—the equivalent of more than a million kettles being switched on at once.

Craig Dyke, Director of System Operations, NESO, said: 

"Whether you're cheering on the home nations, your sweepstake side, or for me—wishing Wales were there—this year's World Cup has more games than ever before, meaning we're likely to see a surge in electricity demand across the longer tournament. While what happens on the pitch can always throw up surprises, watching this year's World Cup will almost certainly be powered by the cleanest electricity in history. And our engineers will be working around the clock to balance supply and demand, meaning fans can be sure to enjoy every moment of the beautiful game, whatever the result."

Other sporting energy highlights

2018 Men’s World Cup in Russia 

1,400 MW surge as England defied expectations and advanced through the knockout stages by winning a penalty shootout for the first time in World Cup history against Colombia.

2022 Men’s World Cup in Qatar 

914 MW spike during England's quarter-final match against France recorded at the half-time interval as fans headed to the fridge or to put on the kettle.

2023 Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand 

500 MW increase at both half and fulltime as England's Lionesses beat Spain in the final.

2024 Men’s Euros in Germany  

1,300 MW pickup at half-time in the nail-biting final between England and Spain.

2025 Women's Euros in Switzerland 

400 MW increase at halftime as England's Lionesses faced Spain in the final, with a further 150 MW rise after Chloe Kelly scored the winning penalty.