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Data Store
London’s Poverty Profile
November 2011: Newly created, London’s Poverty Profile is an independent source of information about poverty and inequality in the capital using the latest official data to reveal patterns of poverty across the capital.Their latest study finds that “Housing costs are a critical factor in explaining why London has the highest poverty rates of all England’s regions. Taking account of housing costs, the poverty rate in London is 28%, compared to 22% in the rest of England, and the gap has grown in the last decade.” This provide further evidence that the number of Londoners deemed to be fuel poor will be much disproportionately higher than elsewhere in the country when, as is likely, the government correctly move to a new definition of fuel poverty (as suggested to Government in the recent Hills Report) to look at energy costs after the costs of housing are taken into account.
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Analysing Options for Carbon Reduction: Housing stock refurbishment tool
November 2011: The Energy Saving Trust have developed a housing stock refurbishment calculator, which enables local authorities to input an energy efficiency profile of the housing stock in their area and to analyse options for carbon reduction.
The tool is designed to inform four key areas to help local authorities and housing stock managers justify and plan a carbon reduction scheme:
The tool is currently under development and will soon be able to offer consultancy services in modelling using the tool. For further details, please contact localdelivery@est.org.uk
Home Energy Fact File 2011 Released
October 2011: DECC have just released the latest version of their comprehensive guide to energy use in homes – the Housing Energy Fact File 2011 (previously known as the Domestic Energy Fact File). The 2011 Fact File covers the period from 1970 to 2009, and aims to draw together most of the important data about energy use in homes in Great Britain. It is intended for policy-makers, researchers, and interested members of the public, and considers the relationship between domestic energy use and carbon dioxide emissions. The report provides information on all aspects of home energy use such as:
- Carbon emissions and energy generation trends from homes
- Household spending on energy
- How much energy is used in homes in areas such as Space heating, Hot water, Lights, Appliances and Cooking
- Energy efficiency (SAP) ratings
- Use of Central heating etc.
No regional representation of the data is unfortunately provided, so issues reflecting the very different housing mix in London (with high levels of: flatted accommodation, solid wall dwellings and privately rented homes etc.) and its relation to energy consumption are not unfortunately covered.
London Combined Heat and Power output falls
October 2011: DECC have just released their annual regional breakdown of Combined Heat and Power (CHP) statistics, providing further detail to the CHP chapter of DECC’s annual Digest of UK Energy Statistics, published in July of this year.
The statistics for London released indicate that:
- 188 Good Quality CHP schemes were operational in London as at the end of 2010
- These schemes amount to a total electrical capacity of 185 MWe and total thermal capacity of 372MWth
- They produced a total of 631GWh electricity and 1,680GWh heat – a total of 2,311 GWh energy
- Unlike many other regions, London does not have many large-scale industrial CHP schemes, which have typically long operational hours. Hence the overall load factor of London CHP schemes is low – the second lowest in the UK – at only 39.8%
- Importantly, whilst there has been a marginal increase in the number of CHP schemes operating in London (3 more in 2010) overall CHP generation capacity in London has decreased from 200MWe in 2009 to 185MWe. This is in despite an increase in overall increase in UK CHP capacity by over 500MWe.
- Additionally, when compared to last year’s statistics, the output from CHP plant in the capital has also fallen. CHP data as at the end of 2009 shows that CHP output stood at 746 GWh electricity and 2,414 GWh heat – a total of 3,160GWh of energy (see last year’s DECC Energy Trends September 2010 for details). Hence, as compared to the statistics just released, CHP energy output has dropped a significant 27% in the capital over one year. It’s difficult to determine exactly what is happening here without access to more detailed data for London from DECC – especially in relation to those schemes which may have retired.
- Note: there is a minor error in the latest Energy Trends article. Tables 5 & 6 suggest that 200MW CHP is operating in 2010. However, the report’s authors have clarified to energy for london that the correct capacity is 185 MWe and that:
- in Table 5 of the article, CCGT+GTs+STs should be 80 MWe and NOT 95 MWe. This will make the total for London 185 MWe, and consistent with Tables 1+2
- in Table 6 the London figure under the ’10 MWe and greater’ column should be 66 MWe and NOT 81MWe. This again will make the total for London 185 MWe, and consistent with Tables 1+2
Posted in Data Store, Decentralised Energy, News
Tagged CHP, Data, DECC, Decentralised Energy
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New Renewable Electricity Stats for London
30 September 2011: DECC have just released their annual regional breakdown of renewable electricity statistics, providing further detail to the renewable CHP chapter of DECC’s annual Digest of UK Energy Statistics, published in July of this year. (Note – this only refers to ‘renewable electricity’ and not ‘renewable energy’ which would include the contribution of renewables to heating and transport fuels also – the UK’s 2020 target is in relation to renewable energy).
The statistics for London indicate:
- 10 sites in London are indicated under the ‘wind and wave’ category to a total of 3.7 MWe. Virtually all of this capacity must be wind, and the vast proportion of it attributable to a single scheme – the Ford Dagenham wind turbine project.
- 6 schemes are classed under ‘other biomass’ a total of 110.6 MWe (note – these statistics only refer to ‘renewable electricity’ and not ‘renewable energy’, hence it does not include biomass heat-only schemes in London or elsewhere). The majority of this capacity must be from biogas to electricity schemes at Thames Water sewage waste water treatment plants, and also a Thames Water ‘sludge powered’ generator, and a number of landfill gas schemes.
- And then there are 1,044 solar PV schemes operating in London – to a total of 2.8MWe generation capacity (on PV installations in London see here for further detail).
- London has the lowest total overall renewable electricity output of all regions at 385GWh – exactly the same amount generated as in 2009 (see DECC Energy Trends September 2010 for details)
- The Mayor will shortly be issuing a detailed study on the potential for decentrailsed energy in London, including the use of renewable energy resources.
Posted in Data Store, News, Renewable Energy
Tagged Data, DECC, Mayor, Renewable Energy
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Winter Fuel Payments Data for London
September 2011: The latest official statistics on Winter Fuel Payments for 2010/11 have just been released by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The Winter Fuel Payment is “a tax free payment to help older people keep warm during winter” (further information here and here). The data is provided in spreadsheet format on a Parliamentary constituency and local authority basis.
A quick analysis of the key statistics shows for London that:
- 1.14 million people in London (out of 12.71m receiving payments across the UK) received Winter Fuel Payments
- A total of £261 million in WFP was directed to Londoners (out of £2.75 billion across the UK)
- 867,130 households – approximately 27 per cent of London’s households received support (out of 9.2 million eligible housholds across UK).
As part of the Chancellor’s 2011 Budget, the WFP rates are to be reduced this year. Individuals over 60 and aged up to 79 will get now £200, down from £250. And those with someone aged 80 or over get £300, down from £400. Full WFP rates information is here.
Latest Defra Greenhouse Gas Inventories
6 September 2011: Report presenting estimates of ALL six greenhouse gas (GHG) emission inventories for the constituent countries of the UK for 2009.
England has a 77.6% share of total net GHG emissions in 2009 and emissions have declined by 29.5% since the base year (which slightly differs for the different gases).
Overall UK CO2 emissions have fallen by 19.7% between 1990 and 2009, mainly driven by the installation of combined cycle gas turbines (CCGT) in the power generation sector in England and reductions in carbon dioxide emissions from industry in England, Scotland and Wales.
Government Guidance on GHG Emission Factors
1 September 2011: DECC and DEFRA have issued their latest 2011 GHG Conversion Factors Methodology Paper for Emission Factors which, amongst many fuel types, includes detailed guidance on the important issue of grid (electricity) emissions factors: these represent the average CO2 emission from the UK national grid per kWh of electricity used at the point of final consumption (i.e. transmission and distribution losses are included). Much more in the paper.
Approvals for new homes in London drop
August 2011: The Home Builders Federation have just issued an update on the number of residential planning permissions granted across the country. It’s not pretty. The HBF comment “These new figures paint a bleak picture. We already have an acute housing crisis that is affecting the quality of life of families, young and old, across the country and the economy. Today’s extremely low levels of permissions will only make things worse in the short term.”
The numbers are dismal everywhere, but London looks particularly bad when compared to previous quarters. Close to 20,000 units secured planning approval in Q1 2006 in London: the latest figures for Q1 2011 show that only 2,692 were approved – the lowest level recorded in the research for London over the past five years.
London Lags on Lagging
5 August 2011: Data released today provides further evidence on the extent that London is short-changed in relation to insulating its homes. The local authorities that have seen the lowest percentage of the housing stock insulated over the past three years through the Government’s main energy efficiency policy mechanism, CERT, are all based in London. They are: City of London (<0.1%); Westminster (0.3%); Kensington and Chelsea (0.8%); Hackney (1.3%); Hammersmith and Fulham (1.6%).
The figures, published by the Energy Saving Trust (EST), are released on a regional, council and constituency basis. They show how much loft and cavity wall insulation was professionally installed under the Government’s Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) up until 31 March 2011. The CERT places requirements on energy companies to help consumers cut their emissions through energy efficiency.
Energy Consumption in London’s Homes
29 July 2011: DECC’s latest Energy Consumption in the UK release includes data and factsheets on the use of energy in the industrial, transport, domestic and service sectors. Some of the findings from the domestic sector factsheet include:
- In 2010 domestic consumption was 32 per cent of total UK final energy consumption
- The majority of energy consumed in the domestic sector is for spacing heating which in 2009 represented 61 per cent of total domestic consumption.
- Water heating and lighting appliances accounted for a further 18 per cent each with cooking accounting for a further 3 per cent
- Electricity consumption for lighting purposes represented 33 per cent of electricity consumption by household domestic appliances, followed by cooking (32 per cent) and cold appliances (14 per cent)
No other official data providing a breakdown to this level of energy consumption in homes exists. No regional breakdown is provided or breakdown by dwelling type, hence this is the best available dataset to use in relation to energy consumption in Londoners’ homes. See the following Ofgem factsheet for information on typical total domestic energy consumption.