In Europe, UK is one of the largest gas markets after Germany. Despite being a key contributor, gas is rarely referred to in the UK energy policy terms and in public discourse it is generally branded as a fossil fuel.
The evolution of gas demand in the UK from 1970 to 2013
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From 1970 to 1990, a strong growth seen in the residential, industrial and commercial sector as the natural gas became the fuel of choice for heating and various other industrial applications.
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From 1990 to 2000, a further strong growth was reported that was primarily driven by the post-privatisation “dash for gas” in power generation accompanied by continued growth in residential and industrial and commercial demand. In 2000, gas’ share of primary energy consumption was 41% and 55%, excluding the transport sector.
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In the year 2000, there were around 20.49 million household consumers and 22.9 million in 2012 though unit consumption has declined from around 18 KWh pa to 15 KWh pa over this period.
Between 1990 and 2002, the UK was largely self-sufficient in gas supplied from the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS). The production of gas started to decline from 2000 and in order to deal with the continued growth in demand for gas, various import projects were undertaken. These projects include new pipelines to transport gas from Norway and the Netherlands and LNG import terminals at Grain, Milford Haven and Teesside.
There are a number of factors that leads to significant variations in the UK’s supply and demand position from an annual perspective. One of the key factors that impact the demand and supply of gas in the UK is the ambient temperature as the heating load is a major part of demand in the UK. The other important factors are the level of economic activity and variations in electricity demand.
Gas is still the most significant component in the UK’s non transport energy mix as it plays a very important role in residential heating and power generation. It is also crucial in several industries as well as in many manufacturing sectors. Energy for heat accounts for around 48% of total energy demand in the UK. Natural gas remains the most preferred fuel to heat homes.
These days, there are a number of energy suppliers in the United Kingdom that supply energy to a large number of customers along with excellent cost savings tips on energy usage. One of the most renowned energy suppliers in the UK is E.ON. They provide electricity and gas to more than 5 million domestic, small and medium-sized business customers all over the United Kingdom. Their innovative and advanced technologies are exclusively designed to meet the needs of their customers. One can use the EON Contact Number to speak directly to their advisors to discuss about a number of ways to save money on utility bills and become more energy efficient.