Editing Three-Day Week (section)

==The Three-Day Week==
{{Infobox UK legislation
| short_title           = Electricity (Industrial and Commercial Use) (Control) (No. 2) Order 1973
| type                  = Statutory Instrument
| parliament            = Parliament of the United Kingdom
| year                  = 1973
| citation              = [[SI 1973]]/2172
| introduced_commons    = 
| introduced_lords      = 
| territorial_extent    = 
| si_made_date          = 21 December 1973
| si_laid_date          = 21 December 1973
| commencement          = 31 December 1973
| expiry_date           = 
| repeal_date           = 
| amends                = 
| replaces              = 
| primary_legislation   = {{ubli|[[Emergency Laws (Re-enactments and Repeals) Act 1964]]|[[Fuel and Electricity (Control) Act 1973]]}}
| eu_directives         = 
| amendments            = 
| repealing_legislation = 
| related_legislation   = 
| status                = 
| legislation_history   = 
| theyworkforyou        = 
| millbankhansard       = 
| original_text         = https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1973/2172/pdfs/uksi_19732172_en.pdf
| revised_text          = 
| use_new_UK-LEG        = 
| UK-LEG_title          = 
| collapsed             = yes
}}
In the 1970s, most of the UK's electricity was produced by coal-burning power stations.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mygridgb.co.uk/a-brief-history-of-british-electricity-generation/|title=A brief history of British Electricity Generation – MyGridGB|date=18 March 2017}}</ref> To reduce electricity consumption, and thus conserve coal stocks, the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] Prime Minister, [[Edward Heath]], announced a number of measures under the [[Fuel and Electricity (Control) Act 1973]] (c. 67) on 13 December 1973, including the 'Three-Day Work Order', the '''{{visible anchor|Electricity (Industrial and Commercial Use) (Control) (No. 2) Order 1973}}''' ([[SI 1973]]/2172), which came into force at midnight on 31 December. Commercial consumption of electricity would be limited to three consecutive days each week.<ref name="na" /> The Labour Party, the opposition party at this time, strongly opposed the 3-day week.<ref>{{Cite press release |date=23 January 1974 |title=The following resolution carried unanimously by the National Executive Committee at its meeting today: |work=The Labour Party Information Department}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Three-Day Working Week - Hansard - UK Parliament |url=https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/1974-01-10/debates/c4dd11c8-886d-4894-bf4c-8b7eca739672/Three-DayWorkingWeek |access-date=2025-03-04 |website=hansard.parliament.uk |language=en}}</ref> Heath's objectives were business continuity and survival and to avoid further inflation and a [[currency crisis]]. Rather than risk a total shutdown, working time was reduced to prolong the life of available fuel stocks. Television broadcasts were to shut down at 22:30 each evening, and most pubs were closed; due to the power surges generated at 22:30, the [[Central Electricity Generating Board]] argued for a staggered shutdown on [[BBC]] and [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]], alternating nightly, and this was eventually introduced.<ref name="StrikeNotTheEnd25"/> The television broadcasting restrictions were introduced on 17 December 1973, suspended for the Christmas and New Year period, and lifted on 8 February 1974.<ref>{{cite news|title=TV Curb Lifted|work=The Times|date=8 February 1974}}</ref>