Green, ethical, energy issues in the news

NedS

Thought I'd share this here rather than in the Energy forum.

DESNZ yesterday published their Digest of UK Energy Statistics (DUKES) for 2025 (2026 in the title refers to the year of publication):

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a6a3b71bf4a7aca8f8976c9/DUKES_2026_Chapters_1-7.pdf

Overall energy demand in 2025 matched the record low of 2024 as the UK once again experienced record temperatures. Household consumption was unchanged on 2024, with transport up 2 per cent.
Industrial consumption dropped 7 per cent on 2024 and remains at a record low level as improvements in energy efficiency and shifts from manufacturing towards high value outputs such as pharmaceuticals
contribute to reducing energy needs. The UK’s demand continues to be dominated by fossil fuels, but coal has dropped to 1 per cent of demand in 2025 from 17 per cent in 2000 as coal fired generation was phased out.

Key headlines
Energy production fell by 0.6 per cent to a record low level as production from the UK’s mature
continental shelf continues to decline. Oil production rose by 2.6 per cent despite many oil fields ceasing
production whilst gas production fell by 3.4 per cent to a record low level. Oil and gas production is 75 per cent
below the peak recorded in 1999 and 34 per cent below pre-pandemic (2019) levels as output from the UK’s
mature continental shelf continues to decline. Nuclear output fell by 11 per cent to a record low level as
continued outages affected the UK nuclear fleet. Wind, solar and hydro output rose by 7.3 per cent to a record
high level due to increased offshore wind and solar capacity.
Final energy consumption in 2025 fell by 0.5 per cent on 2024 and remains down 9.3 per cent on 2019.
Domestic consumption rose by 0.2 per cent despite 2025 being the warmest year on record, whilst industrial
sector consumption fell by 4.9 per cent and remained at record low levels, and service sector consumption fell
by 2.9 per cent.
Transport consumption rose by 2.0 per cent compared to last year but remains 2.2 per cent below pre-
pandemic (2019) levels. Aviation fuel demand fell by 0.8 per cent, whilst road fuel demand rose by 3.1 per cent
on 2024 levels.
Net imports fell by 2.4 per cent. Imports fell by 2.2 per cent and exports fell by 2.0 per cent to a record
21st century low level. The UK’s net import dependency stood at 43.3 per cent, down from 43.7 per cent in
2024.
The bulk of the UK’s energy imports, over 90 per cent, comprise oil and gas and Norway is the UK’s primary
supplier of energy imports. The largest share of oil imports in 2025 arrived from the United States, whilst
Norway provides the largest share of gas imports

debitcardmayhem

June was a record for solar according to Hugo - 16GW peak

https://mcusercontent.com/6ffa80ed904bdd246d710ae1d/files/9c883c9e-bd61-c6fe-f4c2-743d9f742b3d/NL_Solar_record.pdf?mc_cid=1c86f8eaae&mc_eid=aaec8004fb

Martyn1981

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82087090#Comment_82087090

I wonder if the latest 6 month install of ~143k will have a greater kWp capacity than the record ~167k installs in 2011?

Standard panels back then were ~240Wp, now ~460Wp (or maybe 410Wp after accounting for them being about 10% larger).

And soon we should start to see PnP / balcony PV rolling out, dare I say on mass.

Is it ok to suggest a slight silver lining on the latest energy crisis?

silverwhistle

Over the last couple of years I've been on Agile and IOG, but I don't recall in previous years such summer midday drops in price on Agile; maybe I'll have to go and check. But it does seem to me that the new solar is making a difference. Back from Italy yesterday and prices (S) are 5/6/7p so off to plug in, helped by using my own solar too.