In the past, fossil fuels like coal and natural gas were the main sources of generating electricity in the UK. These resources although worked out to be quite beneficial for us in generating electricity, are not renewable and hence their supply is limited. Electricity generated from renewables like wind, water and sunlight are slowly but surely dominating the electricity generation in recent times, and is a step in the right direction to attain sustainable living.
Phasing out Fossil Fuels.
Understanding the detrimental effects of the use of fossil fuels on the environment, energy statistics show that we are on track to phase out the use of fossil fuels for electricity generation. In 2016, natural gas and coal accounted for 42% and 9% of electricity generated in the UK respectively. In 2019, the UK generated 38% of its electricity from natural gas and 1% from coal. And now only 29% of electricity is generated by natural gas and less than 1% of the UK’s electricity is generated by coal.
According to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy’s (BEIS) latest energy trends data published (2020) renewables’ share of electricity generation was 47% during the quarter, up from 35.9% in the first quarter of 2019. The proportion is also notably higher than the previous quarterly record of 39%, set last summer.
Gas and Electricity prices in the UK.
Currently, electricity is highly expensive as compared to gas. But as a commodity electricity isn’t vastly expensive than gas to produce. The higher levies put on electricity as compared to gas, is what makes the current price of electricity 3-4 times that of gas. From an economic standpoint, at the time taxing electricity higher than gas only increased the amount of revenue received by the Government in taxes, simply because all homes in the UK have electricity, but the same cannot be said for gas.
The government has announced that by 2025, all new homes will be banned from installing gas boilers and will instead be heated by low-carbon alternatives. The heating industry has moved away from burning coal for heat to gas (although coal was cheaper than gas) and now slowly but surely is switching away from fossil fuels like gas to renewable sources of energy (like 100% renewable electricity). This shift to electric can be seen in the automobile industry as well. This change is driven by the need to conserve the already damaged/polluted environment.
With the Government pushing the ‘Net Zero Carbon’ initiative, we could see them reviewing the levies put on electricity and gas, in favour of electricity to promote the use of electricity as compared to gas. These levies have already been reviewed in the B2B and commercial sector and we could see the UK Government doing the same for the domestic sector as well.
The Future is Electric.
An independent climate research agency Ember (2020) states that the UK’s renewable electricity outpaced its fossil fuel generation for the first-time last year and could remain the largest source of electricity in the future. It revealed that renewable energy generated by wind, sunlight, water and wood made up 42% of the UK’s electricity last year compared with 41% generated from gas and coal plants together.
2020 was the greenest year on record for Britain’s electricity system, when average carbon intensity – the measure of carbon dioxide emissions per unit of electricity consumed – reached a new low, according to National Grid.
With the consumption of electricity in UK households increasing every year coupled with the phasing out of fossil fuels and the growing popularity of renewables shows that the generation of electricity using renewables is able to cope with the growing demand of electricity. Once all the related infrastructure is set up, we could soon enjoy 100% renewable electricity in our homes and live more sustainably.
From day one, Fischer Future Heat have advocated for the elimination of fossil fuels by going 100% electric. This electricity when generated by renewables, would help you reduce your primary and secondary carbon-footprint. Fischer have diversified from just selling dynamic electric radiators to numerous other efficient and electric products like Fischer Duo Boiler, Aquafficient, Aquafficient Eco+ and Solar battery, so that you find the perfect electric solution to swap your fossil fuelled heating. Hence, Fischer Future Heat is a great choice for environmentally-conscious customers.
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