§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will compare the price of (a) gas in pence per therm and (b) electricity in pence per kWh to industrial users in the United Kingdom, France, Italy, the Federal Republic of Germany and the Netherlands at the latest date for which figures are available.
§ Mr. MellorThe latest available information is set out in the following tables. Prices for electricity are based on an informal survey conducted by the Electricity Council and relate to tariffs in force at 30 September 1982. Prices for gas are based on an informal survey conducted among gas undertakings in certain European cities and relate to tariffs in force on 1 July 1982.
In making international comparisons it must be borne in mind that difficulties can arise in times of changing prices and exchange rate fluctuations. There can also be a wide range of prices within countries.
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European industrial electricity prices: 30 September 1982 (excluding VAT) (2,500 kW at 40 per cent. load factor) pence/kWhr United Kingdom (England and Wales) 3.72 France 2.61 Italy 4.02 Federal Republic of Germany 3.69—4.36 Netherlands 4.16
European industrial gas prices: 1 July 1982 (excluding VAT) Pence/therm Paris 27.9 Turin 30.6 Stuttgart not available Amsterdam 28.3 Great Britain* 23.1 * Average price from Department of Energy survey of some 900 large industrial consumers in Great Britain for period April to June 1982. The average price realised in new and renewed contracts during the same period was 28.1 pence/therm.
Unit values have been calculated for an annual consumption of about 400,000 therms. National currencies have been converted by using the arithmetic mean of the monthly average exchange rates for June and July 1982.