Total electricity consumption

According to BEIS records, as per its Energy Trends: UK total energy, the highest proportions of total UK electricity consumption in 2021 were attributable to transport (38.3%), household usage (30%) and industrial production (29%). Given that electricity consumption occurs across all corners of the UK economy, changes in both the volume of electricity utilised year-on-year and consumption habits are contingent on a plethora of external factors. For instance, the level of industrial production tends to run in tandem with the ebb and flow of wider economic conditions, meaning that economic cycles may inadvertently cause a spike or trough in industrial electricity consumption. Elsewhere, higher average temperatures in the United Kingdom may limit household electricity used for electrical heating systems. Meanwhile, attitudes toward energy efficiency considerably alter electricity, fossil fuel and or renewable energy consumption habits.

Electricity consumption in the United Kingdom is high and has remained so for decades, but it is expected to have peaked in 2005-06 from where it has generally trended downwards. This is as increasing regulation and government policies have sought to reduce the energy intensity of consumer products. Further this has also been lowered by the offshoring of many industrial processes that require significant electrical usage due to the comparatively high cost of UK electricity and labour. Over the five years through 2022-23, the total electricity consumed is expected to have fallen in all but 2021-22, when it rose 1.9% due to the gradual recovery from the low caused by the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak. According to data from BEIS, in the first quarter of 2020-21 total electricity consumption was 12.9% down over the same time the year before, before recovering to just 1.5% below the previous year in the final quarter of 2020-21 as the economy began to recover. In total, over the five-year period, total electricity consumption is forecast to fall at a compound annual rate of 0.8% to 22,968.2 ktoe in the five years through 2025-26. This includes a 0.9% rise in the current year.