Fuel Costs

HC Deb 23 May 1978 vol 950 cc488-9W

Mr. John Moore

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will set out his estimate of the proportion of (a) average family expenditure and (b) average family income devoted to fuel costs over the past 20 years, differentiating where possible between gas, electricity and solid fuel.

Dr. John Cunningham

These data are derived from the annual reports of the Family Expenditure Survey which has been carried out continuously by the Department of Employment since 1957. Details of household incomes have been

TABLE 1
AVERAGE EXPENDITURE ON FUELS AS PROPORTION OF TOTAL EXPENDITURE
				Gas per cent.	Electricity per cent.	Solid Fuel per cent.	Total Fuel and Light* per cent.	Total Expenditure on Goods and Services £
1957	…	…	…	1.33	1.40	2.87	6.10	14.27
1958	…	…	…	1.29	1.69	3.08	6.44	14.75
1959	…	…	…	1.29	1.68	2.77	6.06	15.50
1960	…	…	…	1.27	1.70	2.54	5.88	16.51
1961	…	…	…	1.22	1.92	2.68	6.11	17.19
1962	…	…	…	1.25	2.16	2.61	6.48	17.60
1963	…	…	…	1.20	2.35	2.72	6.64	19.14
1964	…	…	…	1.23	2.41	2.36	6.31	19.50
1965	…	…	…	1.32	2.40	2.31	6.35	21.25
1966	…	…	…	1.30	2.51	2.15	6.19	22.28
1967	…	…	…	1.46	2.40	2.19	6.26	23.32
1968	…	…	…	1.40	2.57	2.00	6.22	24.93
1969	…	…	…	1.59	2.62	2.09	6.64	26.37
1970	…	…	…	1.54	2.49	1.93	6.27	28.57
1971	…	…	…	1.58	2.52	1.58	5.97	30.99
1972	…	…	…	1.63	2.54	1.34	5.88	35.06
1973	…	…	…	1.57	2.41	1.17	5.50	39.43
1974	…	…	…	1.45	2.32	1.04	5.25	46.13
1975	…	…	…	1.43	2.64	0.97	5.48	54.58
1976	…	…	…	1.47	2.87	0.96	5.72	61.70
Source: Family Expenditure Survey.
* Includes oil and other fuels.

TABLE 2
AVERAGE WEEKLY EXPENDITURE ON FUELS AS PROPORTION OF AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD INCOME
				Gas per cent.	Electricity per cent.	Solid Fuel per cent.	Total Fuel and Light* per cent.	Weekly Household Income £
1961	…	…	…	1.17	1.83	2.55	5.83	18.01
1962	…	…	…	1.07	1.84	2.23	5.53	20.62
1963	…	…	…	1.04	2.04	2.36	5.76	22.03
1964	…	…	…	1.02	1.99	1.95	5.21	23.60
1965	…	…	…	1.14	2.07	1.99	5.48	24.64
1966	…	…	…	1.06	2.05	1.76	5.06	27.27
1967	…	…	…	1.20	1.98	1.80	5.17	28.25
1968	…	…	…	1.17	2.13	1.67	5.17	29.98
1969	…	…	…	1.29	2.13	1.69	5.39	32.47
1970	…	…	…	1.24	2.01	1.55	5.06	35.40
1971	…	…	…	1.27	2.03	1.27	4.81	38.48
1972	…	…	…	1.33	2.08	1.10	4.81	42.85
1973	…	…	…	1.25	1.92	0.93	4.39	49.41
1974	…	…	…	1.15	1.83	0.82	4.15	58.33
1975	…	…	…	1.07	1.98	0.73	4.10	72.87
1976	…	…	…	1.10	2.15	0.72	4.29	82.30
* Includes oil and other fuels.