Energy Saving Day was a flop, its organiser admitted last night after the National Grid confirmed that across Britain energy use went up by just over one per cent.

The day, which began at dusk on Wednesday evening with candles being lit in St Paul's cathedral, had received the backing of the minister for climate change, Joan Ruddock, Lord May, the former president of the Royal Society, and groups including the National Trust, Tesco and the power companies.

The E Day website encouraged participants to turn off as many appliances as possible and to leave them unused for as long as possible.