UK Energy Statistics 2018

The UK Government’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has published a statistical press release on the UK energy statistics 2018. These annual figures on UK energy data were published on 28 March 2019.

Summary of UK energy statistics 2018

The key points of the UK energy statistics 2018 reports are as follows:

Total energy production

  • 3.7% higher than in 2017. This increase, the fourth in successive years, was due to rises in output from oil, bioenergy and waste, wind and solar.
  • Oil output rose up 9.0%.
  • The energy production from bioenergy and waste and wind, solar and hydro is now nearly 13 times higher than coal; thus is notable as coal output was higher as recently as 2012.
  • Coal output in 2018 fell to a record low level.

Total primary energy consumption for energy users

  • 0.6% lower than in 2017.
  • However, when energy consumption is adjusted to take account of the weather differences between 2017 and 2018, we can determine that primary consumption fell by 1.3%.

Final energy consumption (excluding non-energy use)

  • 0.7 % higher than in 2017.
  • On a seasonally and temperature-adjusted basis, final energy consumption in 2018 is estimated to have fallen by 0.3% with rises in industrial and transport consumption offset by falls in the domestic and services sectors.

UK energy generation 2018

  • Gas accounted for 39.4 %
  • Coal accounted for only 5.0%.

UK renewable and low carbon energy generation 2018

The UK’s BEIS has set out its aim to increase renewables generation 75% from 2018 levels by 2035, with the expectation that there will be a gradual decline in gas-fired generation.
In its ‘Updated Energy and Emissions Projections 2018’ report, the BEIS forecast renewables production to rise to 211 TWh by 2035 – up almost 75% from 121 TWh in 2018, with a projection of 127 TWh projected.

  • Renewables’ share of electricity generation increased to 33.3% in 2018 – a record high – with 111 TWh electricity generated from renewable sources as a result of increased capacity.
  • Nuclear generation’s share declined slightly due to reactor outages and maintenance requirements.
  • Renewable electricity capacity was 44.4 GW at the end of 2018, a 9.7% increase (3.9 GW) on a year earlier.
  • Low carbon electricity’s share of generation increased from 50.1% in 2017 to a record high of 52.8% in 2018. This was driven by growth in renewable generation due to increased capacity.

Average annual household energy bills in the UK in 2018

(Based on fixed consumption of 15,000 kWh per annum for gas and 3,800 kWh per annum for electricity)

  • All payment types increased by £65 in 2018 (up 5.2 % to £1,314) compared to 2017.
  • Average electricity and gas bills were £49 and £16 higher respectively.
  • Based on actual annual household consumption, combined energy bills increased by 3.9% in cash terms (£1,155 in 2018) and increased by 1.9% in real terms (£1,010 in 2018 based on 2010 prices).

Energy imports and exports in 2018

  • Imports were 0.1% lower than in 2017.
  • Exports rose by 3.3%.
  • As a result, net import dependency decreased from 36.3% to 35.3%.

Crude oil & NGL production 2018

  • Higher by 8.9% than in 2017.
  • Production has increased as a result of new projects on the UKCS coming online, of which much has been exported.
  • Exports increased 17% on last year.

Natural gas production 2018

  • 3.1% higher in 2018 compared with the year before.
  • Imports in 2018 decreased by 2.0%.
  • Gas exports were down by a third in the same period to their lowest level since 1998.

Coal production 2018

  • 15% lower than in 2017 –  a record low level, mainly due to one of the large surface mines not producing since April 2017 (it is under ‘care and maintenance’).
  • This is also due to lower demand for electricity generation.
  • Imports of coal in 2018 were nearly 17% higher compared to 2017.
  • Coal stocks were broadly similar to last year.

Gas demand in 2018

  • Stable on the year before at 877 TWh.
  • Decreased gas use for electricity generation offset by an increase in final consumption from cold weather during the ‘Beast from the East’.

Electricity generation in 2018

  • Fell by 1.4% from 339 TWh a year earlier to 334 TWh.
  • Falls in generation from coal, gas and nuclear offset by an increase from renewables.

Renewable energy generation UK 2018

  • 14% increase in wind and solar generation.
  • 12% increase in bioenergy generation.

UK Energy statistics 2018

Source: BEIS
Read more: UK Energy Statistics 2017 

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