England’s win keeps pubs buzzing as electricity use soars 42% after final whistle
England’s dramatic World Cup quarter-final victory over Norway didn’t just send the Three Lions into the semi-finals – it also sent power demand surging across homes and pubs as fans celebrated every twist of the match.
New data from Octopus Energy’s household and pub customers* reveals how football fans powered through Saturday night’s thriller, with electricity demand rising at the game’s biggest moments and remaining elevated into the early hours as fans waited to discover England’s semi-final opponent.
Football fever fuelled household power use
Household electricity demand was already 9% higher than a typical Saturday night at the 10pm kick-off as fans switched on their TVs to cheer on England. After Norway’s early goal, fans stayed glued to the action, with demand climbing to 11% above normal when England equalised before half-time as celebrations began.
With the match going to extra time, household electricity demand reached its highest point of the night when Jude Bellingham’s second goal sent England into the World Cup semi-finals. At the final whistle, electricity use surged 22% above a typical Saturday evening as celebrations erupted across the country.
The football fever continued into the early hours as fans stayed awake after England’s win to watch Argentina take on Switzerland. From 2am to 5am, household energy usage was still 18% higher than usual, as people wanted to find out who England would face in Wednesday’s semi-final.
After a long night of football, England fans had a well-deserved lie-in. The data shows household consumption was 7% lower than usual between 7am and 9.30am on Sunday morning, suggesting many people got up later than normal.
Pubs partied long after the final whistle
It wasn’t just living rooms that were buzzing. Octopus’ pub customers also saw a late-night boost as supporters packed venues across the country to watch England’s victory together.
At kick-off, electricity use across Octopus’ pub customers was 19% above normal levels and remained elevated throughout the match. The elation at the extra-time win meant fans stayed out to celebrate rather than going straight home to sleep, with usage spiking 42% compared to usual levels by 1am.
Alex Schoch, Global Director for Electrification at Octopus Energy, said: “Britain’s electricity use always tells a story, and England’s win over Norway was a thriller. We saw fans switch on for kick-off, celebrate England’s equaliser, and then erupt when Jude Bellingham scored the extra-time winner.
“The data also shows fans stayed up to watch Argentina and Switzerland to find out who England would face in the semi-finals before enjoying a well-earned lie-in the next morning.
“Meanwhile, pubs were still buzzing long after the match had finished, showing just how much the country got behind England’s incredible victory.”
The findings come as Octopus Energy continues its ‘Watt a Save’ initiative, offering participating pubs free electricity between 7pm and midnight whenever England (and Scotland while they remained in the tournament) played during the World Cup. Like Happy Hour – but for power – the scheme is helping give pubs a welcome boost while supporting fans cheering on the Three Lions together.
