The UK is continuing its low-carbon transition, with fossil fuels contributing their lowest ever level to the overall UK energy mix in 2018.
According to official government statistics released yesterday, fossil fuels contributed 79.4 per cent of total energy supply in 2018, a record low. Meanwhile renewables now provide 11 per cent of final energy consumption, as calculated in accordance with EU rules.
However, the result still puts the UK well short of meeting its 2020 EU renewable energy target, which demands renewables contribute a 20 per cent share to the energy mix. The UK is due to leave the EU at the end of October, but it has made much of its reputation as a climate leader, and missing the 20 per cent goal will not go unnoticed by EU leaders.
The new update also shows final energy consumption rose 1.1 per cent to the highest level since 2013, driven by a rise in demand from households for gas and oil heating during the February 'Beast from the East' cold snap.
"Today's energy consumption figures should be a wake-up call," said Mike Hughes, zone president for the UK & Ireland at Schneider Electric. "The fact that our energy consumption has risen to the highest level since 2013, is a clear indication that much more needs to be done to change people's attitudes to energy use."
"Energy sources, from coal to solar, continue to grab the headlines, whilst energy usage remains widely ignored," he added. "Without embracing both, achieving our 2050 net-zero goal is an impossible task."
Nevertheless, the government said energy-related emissions fell by 2.4 per cent - or 9.1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide - between 2017 and 2018.
2018 will likely be the last year the UK can bank major carbon savings from the coal phase-out, with electricity generation from coal falling a significant 25 per cent in 2018, and the fuel now only making up five per cent of total energy generation.
To ensure future declines in emissions, the UK will need to build out more renewables capacity and switch its transport fleet over to electric power, in order to curb oil use. Currently only a tiny fraction of the UK's overall fleet runs on electric power, although the electric vehicle sector is enjoying rapid growth.
