Renewable energy is playing a key part when it comes to fuelling homes and commercial premises, according to the latest set of statistics released from the Department of Energy and Climate change.
The figures indicate that nearly a quarter of the U.K.’s energy in 2015 was produced by renewable energy sources. Solar output is on the increase, as is bioenergy, and a small rise in hydro generation of 2.6% was recorded too.
One of the most significant changes was in the increasing use of wind power. According to the figures, 26% of electricity in the UK is now produced by wind power, which is the equivalent of 9.8 million homes. The figures also demonstrate a surge in the use of offshore wind power generation; the escalation in wind power generation is due to the enhanced onshore and offshore capacity following the opening of several new wind farms, including Westermost Rough.
Positive effect on Fuel Bills
The rise in the use of renewable energy is also having a positive effect on the cost of fuel bills, with the data showing household electricity bills have fallen by an average of 8% because of the reduction in cost for energy and a reduced demand.
Increase in energy production
In total, energy production was more than 14% higher for 2014; this was due to the increased production in gas, oil, primary electricity and bioenergy. Moreover, the energy trends report showed that the production of natural gas was 8% higher
The increase in primary electricity is due to a larger nuclear output and more fields being opened, while a reduced need for maintenance led to the higher production of gas and oil.
Fall in fossil fuels
With the drive to reduce dependence on less environmentally friendly forms of power generation and towards renewable energy, the latest Energy Trends data report showed a fall of 3.8% since late 2014 in the use of fossil fuels.
Commenting on the figures, Maf Smith, Deputy Chief Executive for Energy UK, said:
“These excellent figures show that renewable energy is delivering huge amounts of clean electricity right now, and that overall energy costs are coming down – including wind energy
“Putting the consumer first means putting renewables first. As old coal turns off, renewables are quietly taking its place, delivering energy security and value for money. It makes more sense than ever to fully support and take advantage of our natural resources”.