There is not “enormous use” telling people to use less energy, climate minister Graham Stuart has said.
Liz Truss has reportedly blocked plans by Jacob Rees-Mogg to launch a public an energy-saving public information campaign as she was “ideologically opposed” to the idea.
According to The Times, it included measures designed to help people save up to £300 a year.
It comes amid warnings planned blackouts could hit the UK if power plants cannot get enough gas to keep running.
But speaking to media on Friday morning, Stuart said the government was not a “nanny state”.
“We’re not in the business of telling people how to live their lives,” he told Times Radio.
“There’s not enormous use in telling people to use less energy when it makes no difference to our energy security.”
In an interview with Sky News, Stuart repeated that there was information online for people if they wanted to save money, but that was not something government should to promote.
“The last thing you want to do is tell someone, you know, switch things off for the national need when it makes no difference to the national security position,” he said.
The information campaign planned by Rees-Mogg is reported to have promoted things such as as lowering the temperature of boilers, turning off radiators in empty rooms and advising people to turn off the heating when they go out.
The Times quoted a government source describing the campaign as a “no-brainer” and said No.10 had made a “stupid decision”, but it added Truss is said to be “ideologically opposed” to such an approach as it could be too interventionist.