When you turn on your TV, radio, computer, or games console, you probably don’t think about where the electricity comes from.
There’s loads of ways the UK generates energy, which produces electricity!
These include fossil fuels, like coal and gas, and renewable forms of energy, like wind and solar!
The good news is that we’re relying less and less on fossil fuels, which harm the planet, and we’re getting more of our energy from renewable sources!
Nuclear energy and gas supply around the same amount all year round.
Together, they contribute almost three-quarters of our energy needs over a year! They’re the big orange and green chunks in the chart above!
The rest is made up of other forms of energy, like coal, wind, and hydropower!
We produce less solar energy in winter where the days are shorter and the sun shines less, and more wind in winter!
The UK was most ‘carbon intense’ in March 2016. This means we polluted the most in March. It was cold and we were probably heating our homes!
We produced the least amount of carbon in August when it was warm, schools were closed, and everyone was outside playing!
The graph above shows all the energy use throughout 2016 but this changes all the time! For a live view of what the UK is using, you should check out MyGridGB!
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