In the United Kingdom there is a phenomenon called the TV pickup which is when a large number of people take advantage of tv breaks to use toilets and turn on electrical devices like tea kettles causing large synchronized surges in electricity consumption. Electricity networks devote considerable resources to predict these events as well as the reverse synchronized switch-offs to prevent outages.

The largest pick up was July 4, 1990 after the penalty shootout in the England vs. West Germany FIFA World Cup Semi-final.