England’s match in the Euros against Wales which kicks off at 2pm tomorrow is predicted to cause a spike in electricity demand.

National Grid forecasts more people will tune in to watch the game than any other fixture in the group stage of the European Championship.

Dubbed a ‘TV pick-up’, the spike in demand occurs when people boil kettles, open fridge doors and turn the lights on at the same time, often during a break or at the end of a programme.

Analysts forecast an increase in demand of 1,100MW at half-time. That’s equivalent to opening 73 million fridge doors at once or boiling 440,000 kettles.

Jeremy Caplin Energy Forecasting Manager at National Grid adds: “As England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland are all competing this summer, we anticipate these spikes will get bigger and bigger if any of the home nations progress into the knock-out rounds.”

The record for a television programme was set following the penalty shoot-out in the 1990 World Cup semi-final between England and West Germany, when demand soared to 2,800MW.