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Departmental Energy

Volume 507: debated on Thursday 11 March 2010

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what the estimated (a) amount and (b) cost was of energy used in his Department and its agencies in each year since 1997; what proportion of the energy used was generated from renewable sources in each of those years; and if he will make a statement. (317236)

The Department for Transport was formed in 2002 and therefore no records exist for the Department prior to that date.

The following tables show the electricity, gas and other fuels used by the Department for Transport and its Agencies since 2004-05.

Total electricity

kWh

Business unit

2004-05

2005-06

2006-07

2007-08

2008-09

Central Department

8,073,203

9,187,270

8,039,848

7,522,387

7,472,014

Executive Agencies

34,810,758

36,567,277

39,721,844

37,988,465

42,271,338

DfT total

42,883,961

45,754,547

47,761,692

45,510,852

49,743,352

The following table gives the percentage of electricity consumed by the Department that came from renewable resources for each of the last five years.

Electricity from renewable resources

Percentage

Business unit

2004-05

2005-06

2006-07

2007-08

2008-09

DfT

68

74

66

62.5

53

The reducing percentage of electricity from renewable resources depicted above is as a result of a change in the main supply contract from Buying Solutions which now has a reduced renewable allowance in order to ensure renewable energy is available in the private sector.

Total gas

kWh

Business unit

2004-05

2005-06

2006-07

2007-08

2008-09

Central Department

1,183,339

1,743,451

893,005

970,130

1,144,174

Executive Agencies

29,967,416

46,974,572

42,517,851

48,308,845

52,890,398

DfT total

31,150,755

48,718,023

43,410,856

49,278,975

54,034,572

Total other fuels

kWh

Business unit

2004-05

2005-06

2006-07

2007-08

2008-09

Central Department

421,858

450,079

448,200

390,760

211,385

Executive Agencies

1,639,613

219,000

2,746,182

2,819,862

2,496,956

DfT total

2,061,471

669,079

3,194,382

3,210,622

2,708,341

Part of the progressive increases shown in the above tables is accounted for by improvements in the standard of data collection.

The following table provides the total annual cost of the energy used in the above tables.

Total fuels

£

Business unit

2004-05

2005-06

2006-07

2007-08

2008-09

Central Department

1,261,721.52

1,931,567.00

1,124,339.31

870,380.58

1,031,824.05

Executive Agencies

2,371,574.30

4,559,976.64

4,237,074.20

5,195,331.01

7,238,984.25

DfT total

3,633,295.82

6,491,543.64

5,361,413.51

6,065,711.59

8,270,808.30

In addition to the above listed energy use the Highways Agency is responsible for the provision of roadside technology and lighting which incurred £23.9 million in energy costs in 2008-09. It is not possible to provide consumption data for this facet of departmental activity.