Free energy on Sundays under Miliband’s green revolution, says EDF

Households could have free electricity on certain days of the week as Ed Miliband's green energy revolution boosts supplies, the boss of EDF Renewables has said.

Matthieu Hue, chief executive, said the increasing role and capacity of renewables such as wind and solar in the UK's electricity system meant supply would sometimes exceed demand, driving down prices.

Sundays were the most likely day that energy would be made free for households, Mr Hue suggested, because demand for electricity was usually lowest when many businesses were closed.

Speaking at the Labour Party Conference, Mr Hue said: "Demand is not the same every hour of the day, or every day of the week. There are a number of companies, including EDF, who believe that electricity will be free [at some times] – perhaps on a Sunday.

"This will also be made possible through the installation of smart meters which let people see what energy they are consuming."

Ed Miliband, the Energy Secretary, has made renewable power his biggest focus since taking office as part of efforts to get the National Grid to net zero carbon emissions by 2030.

Mr Hue said the growth of renewables would bring changes in household behaviour linked to the way electricity would change price according to demand and supply.

A key feature of wind and solar-generated electricity is that they are weather dependent. Mr Hue suggested households with electric vehicles could use them to power their home if prices were high during periods of low wind and sunlight.

EDF has around 47 renewable energy sites across the UK, including 10 onshore windfarms in Scotland, collectively producing about 2.5 gigawatts (GW), roughly enough to power 2m homes.

Mr Hue, who was recently appointed joint chairman of the Government's Onshore Wind Task Force, said the company planned to "at least quadruple" this capacity by 2035.

EDF both generates power and supplies it directly to consumers with 5.2m domestic and business UK customers.

In common with most other suppliers its domestic business has been hit by rising debt with about 470,000 UK customers in the red, owing a total of £518m. The average debt per customer has also risen from £757 two years ago to £1,104 in June this year.

Michael Shanks, the junior energy minister, speaking at the same meeting, said the growth of renewables would alter people's behaviour as they used smart meters to cut energy costs.

He said: "The amount of energy we use as a country is going to increase year on year, for example, linked to the growth of data centres... Energy suppliers are putting data on [household] energy use into the hands of consumers. It won't change their overall lifestyle but they will do things differently."

Mr Shanks was challenged during the meeting by anti-slavery campaigners who criticised Mr Miliband's decision to approve two new solar farms despite warnings that panels were being supplied by Chinese companies allegedly exploiting slave labour.

Chloe Cranston of Anti-Slavery International said: "Two of the solar farms approved in July are at high risk of using Uighur slave labour ... we cannot have a UK green transition built partly on slavery."

Mr Shanks said he was aware of the problem and would be meeting with the solar industry to discuss "human rights issues" in the solar supply chain next week.