Fossil fuel plants contributed about a third of electricity supplies in 2023 and renewables a record 42%

The amount of electricity generated by the UK’s gas and coal power plants fell by 20% last year, with consumption of fossil fuels at its lowest level since 1957.

Not since Harold Macmillan was the UK prime minister and the Beatles’ John Lennon and Paul McCartney met for the first time has the UK used less coal and gas.

The UK’s gas power plants last year generated 31% of the UK’s electricity, or 98 terawatt hours (TWh), according to a report by the industry journal Carbon Brief, while the UK’s last remaining coal plant produced enough electricity to meet just 1% of the UK’s power demand or 4TWh.

Fossil fuels were squeezed out of the electricity system by a surge in renewable energy generation combined with higher electricity imports from France and Norway and a long-term trend of falling demand.

  • wewbullEnglish
    2·
    11 months ago

    You have to take the rough with the smooth. When prices go up you’re the first to see it, but when prices go down you’re the first to see it. Currently prices are still dropping.

    There’s a 3hr window every afternoon from 4pm to.7pm where prices go up 15p/20p. If the day has had already high prices because there’s no wind or sun and high, then that can be 45-55p.

    Overall, at the moment, I’m saving 20% over Octopus Go, but my usage isn’t heavily biased overnight. Somebody who’s charging an EV or battery every night might do better with more predictable rates.

    https://energy-stats.uk/octopus-agile-yorkshire/ is good to see how the price varies over longer periods.