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2007 digest of UK energy statistics

DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM News Release (P/2007/025) issued by The Government News Network on 26 July 2007

Statistical Press Release

The 2007 Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics is published today (Thursday 26 July) by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. With many detailed tables, supported by charts and commentary, the Digest provides comprehensive data for 2006 and an account of trends in energy supply and demand in the United Kingdom.
The Digest is available both in hard copy from The Stationery Office and free on the Internet at:
http://www.berr.gov.uk/energy/statistics/publications/dukes/page39771.html. Included with the Digest this year is the popular booklet "UK Energy in Brief" (which summarizes the latest energy statistics in 29 Charts)

In addition, data for 2006 in Energy Consumption in the United Kingdom are also released on 26 July, on the Internet by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. This publication brings together statistics from a variety of sources, providing a comprehensive review of energy consumption in the UK since the 1970s. Energy Consumption in the United Kingdom is available on the Internet at http://www.berr.gov.uk/energy/statistics/publications/ecuk/page17658.html
where detailed tables can also be found.

DIGEST OF UK ENERGY STATISTICS 2007

Main trends in energy in 2006:

* Overall there was a decrease in indigenous energy production of 9 per cent and a decrease in primary energy consumption of 1 1/2 per cent in the UK compared with 2005.
* Overall primary fuel consumption was not met by indigenous production; this continues the trend from 2004 when the UK became a net importer of fuel. The UK imported more coal, manufactured fuels, crude oil, electricity and gas than it exported; however we remained a net exporter of petroleum products
* The increased demand for fossil fuels provisionally increased the emissions of carbon dioxide by 1 1/4 per cent in 2006.
* A higher gas-coal price differential increased the commercial attractiveness of coal for electricity generation, and decreased the amount of electricity generated from gas. Gas accounted for 36 per cent of electricity supplied, down from 39 per cent in 2005.
* Refinery production decreased by 3 1/2 per cent and petroleum product exports decreased by 2 1/2 per cent.
* In 2006 Combined Heat and Power (CHP) capacity stood at 5,549 MWe a small (-1/2 per cent) decrease on 2005.
* Electricity generated from renewable sources in the UK in 2006 represented 4.6 per cent of total UK electricity generation, up from 4.2 per cent in 2005.
* In 2006 the energy industries' accounted for 5 per cent of GDP and 8 per cent of total investment, up from 4 1/2 and 6 1/2 per cent respectively in 2005.

Main energy production and trade statistics:

* Primary energy production in the United Kingdom in 2006, at 196.7 million tonnes of oil equivalent, was 9 per cent lower than in 2005.
* Natural gas production fell 8 1/2 per cent in 2006, the sixth consecutive year that natural gas production has fallen since its peak in 2000. The UK imported more gas than it exported, continuing a trend which began in 2004.
* Crude oil production in 2006 fell by 9 1/2 per cent, and now accounts for 43 per cent of indigenous energy production.
* Coal production was down 9 1/2 per cent in 2006 compared to 2005. Imports of coal rose by 15 per cent to a new record of 50 1/2 million tonnes, constituting 75 per cent of coal supply for the UK.

Main energy consumption statistics:

* UK energy consumption in 2006 decreased by 1 1/2 per cent.
* Overall gas demand fell by 5 per cent. Gas demand for electricity generation fell by 5.7 per cent and gas' share of the UK's supply of electricity was 37 per cent.
* Total oil consumption in the UK was broadly unchanged in 2006 at 82 million tonnes of oil equivalent. The majority of this, 72 per cent, was consumed in the transport sector.
* Consumption of Derv fuel exceeded the consumption of motor spirit in 2006 by 2 million tonnes. However Derv is a heavier fuel so in volume terms motor spirit consumption still exceeded Derv consumption by 330 million litres.
* Coal consumption rose by 9 per cent in 2006. There was a 10 per cent increase in consumption by major power producers (consumers of 83 per cent of total coal demand). 38 per cent of the electricity supplied in the UK came from coal in 2006, up from 34 per cent in 2005. Disposals of coal to final users fell by 6 1/2 per cent. The domestic sector accounted for less than 1 per cent of total coal consumption.
* Energy consumption by final users (ie after conversion to secondary fuels, such as electricity or road transport fuels) at 169.6 million tonnes of oil equivalent fell by 2 per cent in 2006. Consumption increased in the transport, sector, while it decreased in the industry, domestic, and service sectors and amongst non-energy uses.

Main electricity generation and supply statistics:

* There was a 1/2 per cent decrease in electricity supply in the UK in 2006 to 406 TWh, the first year on year fall since 1997. Indigenous electricity supply fell by 1/4 per cent but net imports of electricity fell by 9 1/2 per cent to 71/2 TWh.
* While energy industries' use of electricity rose by 5 per cent in 2006, final consumption of electricity fell by 1/2 per cent to 343 TWh.
* The domestic sector was the largest electricity consumer in 2006 (116 TWh), although the industrial sector was less than half a TWh behind. Consumption in the industrial sector fell by 2 per cent and in the domestic sector consumption fell by 1/2 per cent in 2006.
* Total electrical capacity of good quality combined heat and power (CHP) plants in the UK in 2006 was 5,549 MWe, a decrease of 22 MWe from 2005. There were 5 new schemes but 8 ceased to operate. Electrical output from CHP was also down (by 3 per cent) from 2005's record level at 28,000 GWh.
* In 2006 the proportion of UK electricity generated from renewables was 4.6 per cent. On the basis of the policy measurement of the contribution of renewables eligible under the Renewables Obligation to UK electricity sales, 2006 showed continued growth with the percentage increasing from 3.1 per cent in 2004, to 4.0 per cent in 2005 and 4.4 per cent in 2006. Installed electrical generating capacity of renewable sources rose by 11 per cent in 2006, mainly as a result of a 22 per cent increase in wind capacity and a 5 per cent increase in the capacity of sites fuelled by biofuels and wastes.

ENERGY CONSUMPTION IN THE UNITED KINGDOM

* The overall increase in energy consumption between 1990 and 2006 was 12.5 million tonnes of oil equivalent - an increase of 51/2 per cent. The changes in the main sectors, between 1990 and 2006 were:
Industry: - 16 per cent
Domestic: +12 per cent
Transport: +23 per cent
Services and agriculture: +3 1/2 per cent.

* Growth in energy consumption in the transport sector is slowing. By 2006, transport energy consumption had more than doubled since 1970, but three quarters of this increase occurred by 1990. Since 1990 transport consumption has risen by 23 per cent. The largest increase between 1990 and 2006 occurred in the air transport sector, where consumption rose by 91 per cent. Over the same period the rail sectors consumption of electricity rose by 61 per cent, whilst passenger road fuel use was essentially unchanged.

* Domestic energy consumption increased by 12 per cent between 1990 and 2006. During this period the number of households increased by 13 1/2 per cent, the population by 6 per cent and total household disposable income by 49 per cent in real terms. Space heating accounted for three-fifths of all energy consumed in the domestic sector and it is estimated that over the last thirty years, if savings from insulation and heating efficiency improvements had not been made, then energy consumption for space heating would be twice current levels.

* In 2006, the largest single sub-sector in the industrial sector was chemicals, which accounted for 18 per cent of all industrial energy consumption. In 2006 energy consumption in the chemical sector was 6% lower than the previous year.

* In the service sector, energy consumption in the private sector increased by 15 1/2 per cent between 1990 and 2006, but fell by 6 1/2 per cent in the public sector. At the same time, output, measured as the contribution made to the UK economy, increased by around 80 per cent in the private sector and around a third in the public sector, in real terms.

* Data published in the March 2007 edition of Energy Trends show that emissions of carbon dioxide increased by 1 1/4 per cent in 2006 compared to 2005, but were 5 1/4 per cent below 1990 levels.

NOTES TO EDITORS

1. The Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics 2007, compiled by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, contains tables and extensive commentary, charts and technical notes. As well as giving new data for 2006 it also presents some revised data for earlier years.

2. The Digest provides a comprehensive account of energy supply and demand in the United Kingdom, with the majority of the tables covering the last five years. The first chapter covers aggregated overall energy statistics, energy balances and the estimated value of fuel purchases. This chapter gives details of the conversion of fuels by the energy supply industries and figures for consumption by final users, with an analysis of consumption by main industrial groups. It also contains a table covering fuel used for electricity generation by industries whose main activity is not the generation of electricity (ie autogenerators). Other chapters cover the individual fuels and particular topics such as combined heat and power and renewable sources of energy. The Digest also contains annexes on key events in the energy industries in recent years and a glossary of terms.

3. The Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics 2007 is available from the Stationery Office at a cost of £40 (ISBN 9780115155208) and on the Internet at http://www.berr.gov.uk/energy/statistics/publications/dukes/page39771.html. UK Energy in Brief is included with this year's Digest, a booklet summarising the main figures in the publication. UK Energy in Brief and the 2004 Energy Flowchart are available on request from BERR, Clive Sarjantson tel. 020 7215 2698. UK Energy in Brief is also available on the Internet at:
http://www.berr.gov.uk/energy/statistics/publications/in-brief/page17222.html
The 2004 Energy Flow Chart is also available on the internet at:
http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file11248.pdf

4. Energy Consumption in the United Kingdom brings together statistics from a number of sources to produce a comprehensive review of energy consumption in the UK since the 1970s, with a particular focus on changes since 1990. These data are brought together every few years and the most recent printed publication was in July 2002. It includes an analysis of the factors driving changes in energy consumption, the impact of increasing activity, increased efficiency, and structural change in the economy. This year updated information is released in tables on the Internet only at http://www.berr.gov.uk/energy/statistics/publications/ecuk/page17658.html

5. Energy Trends is a quarterly publication that contains tables, charts and commentary covering all major aspects of energy. It provides a comprehensive picture of energy production and use over recent months and enables readers to monitor trends during the year and complements the annual publications. The latest edition was published on 28 June 2007. It is available on subscription (with Quarterly Energy Prices, see below) through Amey plc - contact Clive Sarjantson, tel: 020 7215 2698. Single copies are available from the BERR Publications Orderline priced £6. It is also available at;
http://www.berr.gov.uk/energy/statistics/publications/trends/index.html

6. The Quarterly Energy Prices publication issued with Energy Trends by BERR presents information on energy prices. It contains analyses of petroleum product prices, industrial energy prices, domestic electricity and gas prices, and international comparisons of energy prices. It contains the information on energy prices that until 2001 was published in the Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics. The latest edition was published on 28 June 2007. It is available on subscription (with Energy Trends, see above) through Amey plc - contact Clive Sarjantson, tel: 020 7215 2698. Single copies are available from the BERR Publications Orderline priced £8. It is also available at:
http://www.berr.gov.uk/energy/statistics/publications/prices/index.html

7. In addition to the above statistical publications on the internet, the BERR's web site also contains key energy data in downloadable spreadsheet format. The spreadsheet format includes data on energy production, consumption, trade and prices and is available in monthly, quarterly and annual time-series format. These data are available at: http://www.berr.gov.uk/energy/statistics/source/index.html

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