This month, The Guardian identified the declining output of power stations within the UK, with electricity output for 2018 being the lowest since 1994. The decline was largely due to an increase in energy efficiency, while renewables, which included biomass, hydro, solar and wind power, achieved a record share of the total UK electricity supply, accounting for 33%.
Perhaps the most surprising fact is that the reduction in power occurred despite there being 8 million more people living in the country. Simon Evans, Policy Editor at Carbon Brief stated that the decline in electricity usage could be due to more efficient appliances, energy-saving light bulbs, businesses installing more LED retrofits, supermarkets installing better fridges, and industry using more efficient pumps.
UK Electricity Generation 1950-2018
In terms of electricity production, France, which has a similar population size to the UK, produced 551 TWh in 2017 while the UK produced 336 TWh, of which 445 TWh and 305 TWh was consumed respectively. (Enerdata, 2018). The difference may exist due to the fact that the UK has a greater percentage share of wind and solar in the power mix, with the UK holding the 5th highest share globally at 18%.
The UK reached another milestone last year, with renewable energy capacity surpassing fossil fuels for the first time between July and September 2018, and tripling over the last 5 years. (The Guardian, 2018). In the past year coal capacity has also fallen by one quarter, with only six coal-fired plants remaining in the UK.
Renewable Energy Capacity Surpasses Fossil Fuels in the UK
We are excited to follow the continued improvements which the UK will make over the next 5 years as the country adapts to climate change and focuses on using natural resources more sustainably and efficiently.
As every single one of us is responsible for reducing energy consumption, we at Considerate contribute by assisting businesses with tracking and reducing their electricity and resource consumption through our innovative data management platform, Con-Serve™. We will also be releasing our new mobile App in August 2019, which is specifically designed to streamline energy management for SME hospitality businesses. So if you’re looking for assistance in reducing energy consumption in your business, then contact us today!
