UK: DECC Releases Report on Energy Trends and Quarterly Energy Prices

Energy Trends and Quarterly Energy Prices publications are published today 28 March 2013 by the Department of Energy and Climate Change. The publications cover new data for the fourth quarter of 2012 and thus provisional annual data for 2012.

Energy Trends covers statistics on energy production and consumption, in total and by fuel, and provides an analysis of the year on year changes. Quarterly Energy Prices covers prices to domestic and industrial consumers, prices of oil products and comparisons of international fuel prices.

Some of the key points from 2012 are:

Total energy production was 10½ per cent lower than in 2011, due to the significant falls in oil and gas production as a result of maintenance activity, as well as longer-term decline on the UK Continental Shelf.

• Imports in 2012 were at a record high, with exports at their lowest level since 1989. Net import dependency rose to 43 per cent, the highest level since 1976.
• Total primary energy consumption for energy uses rose by 2½ per cent from 2011. When adjusted to take account of weather differences between 2011 and 2012, primary consumption fell by under ½ per cent. Final energy consumption was 2 per cent higher than in 2011.
• Of electricity generated in 2012, coal accounted for 39½ per cent (an increase of 9 percentage points on 2011) and gas 27½ per cent (a decrease of 13 percentage points on 2011), mainly due to high gas prices.
• Renewables’ share of generation increased by 2 percentage points on 2011 to a record 11½ per cent.

Other highlights from 2012 include:

• Low carbon electricity’s share of generation increased from 28 per cent in 2011 to 30½ per cent in 2012, due to higher renewables and nuclear generation.
• Nuclear’s share of generation increased by 1 percentage point on 2011, to 19½ per cent of the total. Hydro generation decreased by 8 per cent on 2011 as a result of lower rainfall in the main hydro areas, whilst wind rose by 31½ per cent, of which offshore wind rose by 45½ per cent, due to increased capacity. Overall hydro and wind generation was 21 per cent higher than in 2011.

You can find more information at this link.

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Press release, March 28, 2013