The National Energy System Operator (Neso) has predicted significant changes in electricity use across the United Kingdom during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

國家能源系統營運商 (Neso) 預測，在 2026 年 FIFA 世界盃期間，全英國的用電量將會出現顯著變化。

The expected changes in demand are mainly caused by the match schedules for England and Scotland, which will take place during times when electricity use is usually low, such as early mornings and late at night. Neso reports that matches for these teams could cause national demand to increase by about 600MW, which is similar to the total electricity needed by the cities of Glasgow and Leeds. The highest demand is expected during half-time and full-time, as many people use domestic appliances at the same time. For example, England's first match against Croatia is expected to create a surge of 800MW, which is higher than the 600MW peak seen in 1966.

預期的需求變化主因在於英格蘭與蘇格蘭的賽程，比賽將在電力使用通常較低的時段舉行，例如清晨或深夜。Neso 報告指出，這兩支球隊的比賽可能會導致全國需求增加約 600MW，相當於格拉斯哥與利茲兩座城市所需的總電量。預計最高需求將出現在中場休息與賽後結束時，因為許多人會同時使用家用電器。例如，英格蘭對陣克羅埃西亞的首場比賽預計將產生 800MW 的激增，高於 1966 年出現的 600MW 峰值。

Past events show that demand can be very unstable; for instance, there was a 2,800MW surge during the 1990 semi-final. However, modern technology helps to reduce this effect. Because energy-efficient appliances are now common, electricity use per match is expected to be 20% lower than in 1998. Furthermore, total electricity use over the 39-day tournament is projected to rise by 60% compared to 2022 because the tournament is now larger. To keep the grid stable, Neso plans to use battery storage and pumped hydro systems. The organization emphasized that this tournament will be the most sustainable yet, as renewable energy is expected to provide 40–50% of the power.

過往事件顯示需求可能非常不穩定；例如，1990 年準決賽期間曾出現 2,800MW 的激增。然而，現代科技有助於減輕這種影響。由於節能電器現已普及，預計每場比賽的用電量將比 1998 年低 20%。此外，由於賽事規模擴大，預計 39 天賽程的總用電量將比 2022 年增加 60%。為了維持電網穩定，Neso 計劃使用電池儲能與抽蓄水力系統。該機構強調，本次賽事將是迄今最具永續性的，因為再生能源預計將提供 40-50% 的電力。

Neso is prepared to handle these electricity surges by using advanced forecasting and sustainable energy storage technologies.

Neso 已準備好利用先進的預測與永續能源儲存技術來處理這些電力激增。