Switch off shop lights to help avoid blackouts, urges Green Party peer

France and Spain have legislated for shops to turn off lights late at night

The government should pass a law requiring advertising billboards and shop signs to be switched off at night to help avoid potential blackouts, a Green party peer has said.

Natalie Bennett, the leader of the Green Party from 2012 to 2016 and second Green peer in the House of Lords, told The Independent the government should legislate to oblige businesses to switch off “blazing” neon shop signs in the middle of the night.

“Those are not essential uses of electricity and if we cut down on that we could actually save ourselves potentially blackouts,” she said.