Home Heating

HC Deb 28 January 1980 vol 977 cc450-8W

Mr. Eggar

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will express, in tabular form, for the cost per 1,000 British thermal units, of all fuels widely used for home heating purposes within the United Kingdom, on 1 June for each of the years 1970 to 1979, and his estimate for 1980, such cost to be expressed (a) in current cost terms, (b) in (a) as adjusted by changes in the retail price index, (c) as a percentage each year of the cost of providing 1,000 British thermal units through the use of home heating oil, and (d) taking the costs for each of the fuels to be 100 on 1 June 1970.

Mr. Gray

[pursuant to his reply, 17 January 1979, c. 829–30]: It is not possible to provide a meaningful summary of domestic fuel prices for the country as a whole. These vary according to geographical locations, quantities purchased and, in the case of coal and oil, individual merchants. However, the following tables are offered as a guide to the differences occurring between the fuels in the London area and are in units of pence per 100,000 BTU which equates to 1 therm.

Figures are not readily available for 1 June of each year and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The quoted figures are based on those extant on 31 December of each year to 1979. No adjustments have been made for the different thermal efficiencies of the various heating appliances.

The price of oil products in December 1980 will depend largely on the future movement in crude oil prices and the manner in which these are passed through to product prices. Consequently, a reliable estimate cannot be given.

Gas prices are expected to increase by an average of 29 per cent. by December 1980.

Revised electricity tariffs are not available for 1980 and therefore no meaningful estimates of increases can be made.

No short-term forecast of the rise in solid fuel prices for 1980 is yet available.

Table A
TYPICAL RETAIL PRICES OF DOMESTIC FUELS IN CURRENT COST TERMS PER 100,000 BTU (i.e. 1 Therm) FOR 31 December EACH YEAR
Pence/Therm
							Electricity*	Gas*
Year	Household Coal	Anthracite NUTS I	Gas Oil†	Standard Grade Burning Oil†	Premium Kerosene†	750 KWh/An	500 KWh/An	30,000 KWh/An‡	80 Th/An	400 Th/An	1,200 Th/An
1970	…	5.87	8.28	5.26	6.04	8.16	53.09	27.95	16.94	15.33	11.08	8.42
1971	…	6.77	9.16	5.95	6.75	8.70	59.04	31.35	19.63	19.80	12.35	8.78
1972	…	7.39	10.09	6.28	7.22	9.96	61.88	32.90	20.63	20.76	12.96	9.22
1973	…	7.46	10.22	9.38	9.76	13.29	64.23	35.01	22.06	20.76	12.96	9.22
1974	…	9.19	12.15	14.55	14.55	19.61	74.33	45.12	29.12	20.43	13.37	9.35
1975	…	12.09	15.26	17.89	18.66	23.41	93.91	64.69	44.04	25.70	17.70	14.03
1976	…	14.23	18.31	21.83	23.59	27.20	109.23	76.36	54.12	27.60	19.60	15.93
1977	…	16.98	21.01	24.02	24.75	29.42	123.88	84.46	60.04	29.30	21.20	17.27
1978	…	18.53	23.10	24.02	24.75	29.42	139.70	94.99	63.84	29.30	21.20	17.27
1979	…	22.04	27.03	35.42	37.09	41.13	172.08	112.98	73.87	31.70	22.87	18.63
Source:
Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics.
* Prices are based on the most economical domestic tariffs for consumption levels quoted.
†Typical prices for deliveries of 2,275 litres of Gas Oil, 900 liters of standard grade burning oil and 400 litres of Premium Kerosene. Most Premium Kerosene is in practice sold retail in much smaller quantities than that assumed here, consequently the price in pence/therm is higher for the majority of consumers.
‡Includes 22,500 KWh at off-peak tariffs with provision for day-time boost.

Table B
TYPICAL PRICES OF DOMESTIC FUELS ADJUSTED BY CHANGES IN THE RETAIL PRICE INDEX (ALL ITEMS) FOR December OF EACH YEAR
Pence/Therm
							Electricity*	Gas*
Year	Household Coal	Anthracite NUTS I	Gas Oil†	Standard Grade Burning Oil†	Premium Kerosene†	750 KWh/An	500 KWh/An	30,000 KWh/An‡	80 Th/An	400 Th/An	1,200 Th/An
1970	…	5.87	8.28	5.26	6.04	8.16	53.09	27.95	16.94	15.33	11.08	8.42
1971	…	6.21	8.40	5.46	6.19	7.98	54.17	28.76	18.01	18.17	11.33	8.06
1972	…	6.29	8.59	5.35	6.15	8.48	53.71	28.02	17.57	17.68	11.04	7.85
1973	…	5.75	7.87	7.23	7.52	10.24	49.48	26.97	17.00	15.99	9.98	7.10
1974	…	5.94	7.86	9.41	9.41	12.68	48.08	29.18	18.84	13.21	8.65	6.05
1975	…	6.26	7.90	9.26	9.66	12.12	48.63	33.50	23.81	13.31	9.17	7.25
1976	…	6.40	8.24	9.82	10.62	12.24	49.16	34.37	24.36	13.42	8.82	7.17
1977	…	6.81	8.43	9.64	9.93	11.81	49.71	33.89	24.09	11.76	8.51	6.93
1978	…	6.86	8.55	8.89	9.16	10.89	51.72	35.17	23.64	10.85	7.85	6.39
1979	…	6.96	8.53	11.18	11.71	13.99	54.34	35.67	23.22	10.01	7.22	5.88

Table C
PRICE INDEX OF DOMESTIC FUELS IN RELATION TO THE COST OF STANDARD GRADE BURNING OIL
							Electricity*	Gas*
Year	Household Coal	Anthracite NUTS I	Gas Oil†	Standard Grade Burning Oil†	Premium Kerosene†	750 KWh/An	500 KWh/An	30,000 KWh/An‡	80 Th/An	400 Th/An	1,200 Th/An
1970	…	97.2	137.1	87.1	100.0	135.1	879.0	462.7	280.5	253.8	183.4	139.4
1971	…	100.3	135.7	88.1	100.0	128.9	874.7	464.4	290.8	283.0	183.0	130.1
1972	…	102.4	139.8	87.0	100.0	138.0	857.1	455.7	285.5	287.5	179.5	127.7
1973	…	76.4	104.7	96.1	100.0	136.2	658.1	358.7	226.0	212.7	132.8	94.5
1974	…	63.2	83.5	100.0	100.0	134.8	510.9	310.1	200.1	140.4	91.9	64.3
1975	…	64.8	81.8	95.9	100.0	125.5	503.3	346.7	236.0	137.7	94.9	75.2
1976	…	60.3	77.6	92.5	100.0	115.3	463.0	323.7	229.4	117.	83.1	67.5
1977	…	68.6	84.9	97.1	100.0	118.9	500.5	341.3	242.6	118.4	85.7	69.8
1978	…	74.9	93.3	97.1	100.0	118.9	564.4	383.8	257.9	118.4	85.7	69.8
1979	…	59.4	72.9	95.5	100.0	110.9	464.0	304.6	199.2	85.5	61.7	50.2

Table D
PRICE INDEX OF DOMESTIC FUELS—31 DECEMBER 1970=100
							Electricity*	Gas*
Year	Household Coal	Anthracite NUTS I	Gas Oil†	Standard Grade Burning Oil†	Premium Kerosene†	750 KWh/An	500 KWh/An	30,000 KWh/An‡	80 Th/An	400 Th/An	1,200 Th/An
1970	…	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0
1971	…	115.6	110.6	113.1	111.8	106.6	111.2	112.2	115.9	129.2	111.5	104.3
1972	…	125.9	121.9	119.4	119.5	122.1	116.6	117.7	121.8	135.4	117.0	109.5
1973	…	127.1	123.4	178.3	161.6	162.9	121.0	125.3	130.2	135.4	117.0	109.5
1974	…	156.5	146.7	276.6	240.9	240.3	140.0	161.4	171.9	133.3	120.7	111.0
1975	…	206.0	184.3	340.1	308.9	286.9	176.9	231.4	260.0	167.6	159.7	166.6
1976	…	242.4	221.1	415.0	390.6	333.3	205.7	273.2	319.5	180.0	176.9	189.2
1977	…	289.3	253.7	456.7	409.8	360.5	233.3	302.2	354.4	191.1	191.3	205.1
1978	…	315.7	279.0	456.7	409.8	360.5	263.1	339.9	376.9	191.1	191.3	205.1
1979	…	375.5	326.4	673.4	614.1	504.0	324.1	404.2	436.1	206.8	206.4	221.3