Fall in Wigan borough energy use

Greenpeace and the Energy Saving Trust said a drop in electricity consumption nationally was good news for the environment, but there is more to do in improving our energy efficiency.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy data reveals that Wigan families consumed 3,284 kilowatt hours (kWh) on average in 2019. That was 6.7 per cent down from 3,520 kWh in 2015 – below the North West and UK average drops of 7.2 and 7.6 per cent respectively over the period.

Despite an increase in the number of domestic electricity meters, from 138,600 in 2015, to 146,800 last year, there was a drop of four per cent in the total amount of electricity sold in Wigan. The data is based on the aggregation of meter readings and does not include electricity consumed directly from on-site generation, such as that generated by solar panels.

Sam Chetan-Welsh, from Greenpeace UK, said: “The more efficient we get with our energy use, the better chance we stand of cleaning up the supply and saving ourselves from catastrophe.”

There is further scope for society to reduce its electricity consumption and boost employment by insulating homes, he added, and continue to improve electrical goods’ efficiency through better product design.

An Energy Saving Trust spokesman said: “One of the leading environmental issues with electricity production is the emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels in power stations. Carbon emissions from electricity production have fallen in the last decade. This is because fossil-fuelled power stations, in particular coal, have gone offline and there has been a huge increase in renewably-powered generation from wind farms, local renewable electricity generation including those from solar PV panel systems.”

Thanks for reading. If you value what we do and are able to support us, a digital subscription is just £1 for your first month. Try us today by clicking here and viewing our offers ...