Electricity Prices

Mr. Archie Hamilton
asked the Secretary of State for Energy how electricity prices to large industrial consumers in the United Kingdom have increased in 1981 compared with other European countries.

Mr. Mellor
The recent report by the National Economic Development Council's energy task force indicated that since January electricity tariff increases had been higher in almost all other European countries. Actual increases depend on the consumer's pattern of consumption. The following are the percentages increases between 2 January and 1 October 1981 for consumers, in such industries as chemicals, glass, paper and textiles, with maximum demands of 2500kW and 60 per cent. load factor as indicated by the figures in tables 12 and 12A of the NEDC report: -------------------
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|England and Wales|
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|Belgium          |
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|France           |
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|Germany (RWE)    |
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|Italy            |
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|Netherlands      |
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