§ Mr. John Mooreasked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will set out in tabular form (a) the movement in the real price of electricity from 1945 to the latest available date, and (b) in a parallel table, the movement in electricity consumption per capita.
§ Mr. EadieThe information sought by the hon. Member was last given in the reply to the hon. Member for Carshalton (Mr. Forman) on 6th July 1977. The updated information which takes account of changes in the purchasing power of the pound is contained in the following table for domestic consumers.
ELECTRICITY (GREAT BRITAIN) (a) (b) Year Movement in real prices to domestic consumers Pence per kWh (1977 money) Average consumption per domestic consumer kWh 1948 2.952 1,229 1949 3.063 1,187 1950 2.872 1,245 1951 2.606 1,364 1952 2.650 1,316 1953 2.743 1,325 1954 2.731 1,366 1955 2.595 1,459 1956 2.597 1,587 1957 2.594 1,617 1958 2.642 1,793 1959 2.596 1,902 1960 2.484 2,157 1961 2.429 2,406 1962 2.385 2,827 1963 2.391 3,187 1964 2.420 3,127 1965 2.405 3,353 1966 2.380 3,442 1967 2.304 3,520 1968 2.478 3,702 1969 2.273 3,947 1970 2.085 4,158 1971 2.048 4,306 1972 2.030 4,571 1973 1.883 4,754 1974 1.940 4,775 1975 2.259 4,532 1976 2.489 4,267 1977 2.483 4,245 Table (a) is derived from the average net selling value per kWh in Great Britain and estimates of "The Internal Purchasing Power of the Pound". Average net selling values and average consumptions for 1977 are to be published in the forthcoming "Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics 1978". Otherwise, these figures are taken from past issues of 220W the "Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics". Estimates of "The Internal Purchasing Power of the Pound" are derived from a leaflet of that name published by the Central Statistical Office. The average net selling value—revenue divided by consumption—is influenced by variations in consumption and changes between tariffs by consumers as well as by changes in tariff charges.
It is regretted that there are no figures prior to 1948 for average net selling values or average consumption of domestic consumers in Great Britain.