HC Deb 04 November 1992 vol 213 cc308-9W
34. Mr. Jacques Arnold

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the electricity prices charged to heavy industry bulk users of electric power.

Mr. Eggar

My Department is in dialogue with large electricity users concerning electricity prices.

Mr. Robert Banks

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what percentage of electricity consumption was produced by sources other than(a) gas, (b) coal, (c) oil and (d) nuclear power, in the United Kingdom in each of the last three years.

Mr. Eggar

The proportion of electricity consumption in the United Kingdom that was produced by sources other than gas, coal, oil and nuclear power was about 2 per cent. in each of the last three years. This figure includes generation by hydro-electric power, wind power and other renewable energy sources.

Mr. Austin Mitchell

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what study has been made of the relationship between fuel prices and the price of electricity supplied to British industry; and if he will publish a table, for each of the past 10 years, of the average price charged by the United Kingdom and the German electricity supply industries to major users.

Mr. Eggar

It is for the Director General of Electricity Supply to ensure the proper functioning of the market for electricity. In addition, my Department is in dialogue with large electricity users concerning electricity prices.

The information requested is as follows:

Industrial electricity prices
pence per kwh excluding VAT
Year United Kingdom Germany
1982 3.44 2.96
1983 3.46 3.37
1984 3.46 3.53
Year United Kingdom Germany
1985 3.58 3.67
1986 3.63 4.49
1987 3.52 5.00
1988 3.70 4.70
1989 3.73 4.82
1990 3.83 5.10
1991 4.05 4.99

Source: International Energy Agency: "Energy Prices and Taxes".