08-03-00 UK's provisional statistics showing energy production and consumption and petroleum product prices in the three months to January 2000 are published by the Department of Trade and Industry. Some figures for typical retail prices of motor spirit and diesel fuel in February are also given.

Production of indigenous primary fuels in the three months to January 2000, at 81.1 mm tons of oil equivalent, was 0.6 % lower than in the corresponding period a year ago. Production of coal fell by 18.7 % within which deep mined production fell by 31.0 %, because of full or partial closures at some mines and geological difficulties at others. Production of gas rose by 6.2 % while production of oil was unchanged from a year ago.
Production of primary electricity fell by 16.8 % within which nuclear production fell by 17.3 % because of a higher level of outages for maintenance, repair and refuelling at nuclear stations owned by both bnFL Magnox and British Energy.

Total inland consumption of primary fuels, which includes deliveries into consumption, during the three months to January 2000, at 65.1 mm tons of oil equivalent, was 0.9 % lower than that recorded for the same period a year ago. Consumption of gas rose by 4.7 %, whilst consumption of coal, oil and primary electricity fell by 8.2 %, 1.0 % and 16.1 % respectively. Consumption of coal fell because of lower use at power stations.
Total use of petroleum, including non-energy use, in the period November 1999 to January 2000 was 20.0 mm tons, 2.6 % lower than a year earlier. Energy use decreased by 0.9 % and non-energy use decreased by 4.9 %. Total motor spirit deliveries were up 1.7 per cent, with deliveries of unleaded petrol 14.6 % higher.

In the period, unleaded petrol deliveries (excluding Lead Replacement Petrol (LRP)) represented 91.8 % of total motor spirit deliveries, compared with 81.5 % a year earlier. In January 2000, the difference between unleaded motor spirit deliveries and total motor spirit deliveries is virtually all LRP rather thanleaded petrol.
Derv fuel deliveries increased by 2.0 %, while deliveries of other gas diesel oils, primarily used for heating purposes, decreased by 3.2 %. Fuel oil deliveries fell by 41.3 %, continuing its decline as a source of energy for industry and electricity generation. Deliveries of other products increased by 2.5 % (increased deliveries of aviation turbine fuel (up 3.1 %) and LPGes (up 16.8 per cent) were partly offset by decreased deliveries of burning oil (down 1.8 %)).
Prices of motor spirits have fallen slightly in the month to mid February whilst the price of diesel remained virtually unchanged. These falls reflect the temporary fall in crude oil prices in January.

Overall, however, the trend in recent months has been for motor spirit and diesel prices to increase as crude oil prices have increased. Crude oil prices have increased due to continued adherence by key oil producers to production targets. In terms of prices at the pump, the price of premium unleaded and lead replacement petrol fell by less than 1/2 pence per litre whilst diesel prices remained virtually unchanged.
In the year to mid-February 2000, rises of 12.2, 11.0 and 13.6 pence per litre were seen for premium unleaded, lead replacement petrol (LRP) and diesel respectively - these represent increases of around 16 to 21 % in the price of these fuels. In the month to mid-January the price of super unleaded fell by less than 0.1 pence per litre and was around 5 1/2 % higher than a year ago; an actual increase of 4.3 pence per litre.

It should be noted that primary electricity consists of nuclear electricity, natural flow hydro electricity and, for consumption, net imports of electricity from France. Annual data also includes electricity generated from other renewable sources (e.g. wind, photovoltaics, etc.). In 1998 primary electricity is estimated to have accounted for about 32 % of all electricity available in the United Kingdom.